Look at What You've Done
by SeaIng
Summary: When Cat is murdered, it leaves her friends desperate to find her killer. As they look deeper into her life and the clues she left behind, they realize that there's no turning back, and the new information they find may cost them more than they bargained for.
1. Prologue

**So...because you guys voted on the poll...here is the first chapter of my Cade story. You might notice that I have published it before, but it was accidentally deleted (yeah, I know, I'm horrible with technology), and I didn't want to re-publish because I thought it over and there are a lot of really emotional things that happen in this story that I wasn't ready to write, but now since you asked for it...I'll do it just for you guys. :D**

**Disclaimer: Not even.**

**Rated T for some violence, character death(s) and possibly emotionally triggering material.**

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PROLOGUE  
Beck's POV

I entered our house quietly, stepping into the dim gloom of the living room. The door closed silently behind me, thanks to the repairman that had come by earlier in the week and greased the formerly rusty hinges. I took a quick glance around. It was empty of people; my lovely wife was nowhere to be seen. But that didn't worry me too much. She never left the house nowadays, and it's not like she got out that much before, so I was sure she was around here somewhere, in our modest one-floor home.

The worn curtains fluttered by the front window ominously, casting creepy shadows against the scratched hardwood floor. The faint ticking of a clock echoed eerily, and I followed the noise over to the brick fireplace, carefully maneuvering around the coffee table, couches, and lamps we had set up in the most random locations.

I stopped and took a close look at the cluttered yet precious objects on top of the mantle. I knew exactly what was what in the dark, the unique outlines causing my heart to race as the memories came back to me. I placed a finger on the edge of a particular picture frame, running it down the smooth side and feeling the rose-vine design carved into the surface.

Even in the obscurity, I could still see the pretty face standing out like the sun on a rainy day. It had been a long time since the photo had been taken and the colors were starting to fade, as well protected as it was. The girl was smiling huge, looking as if her life was perfect; something that we later learned was quite the opposite.

Seeing the happiness plastered across her face, eyes shining and lips pulled back into a bright gleam, I couldn't help but turn up the corners of my own mouth, smiling back. The memories whirled in my mind faster and faster the more I stared, causing my heart to throb with every beat.

_It's been twenty-five years, Beck_, I thought to myself sadly.

The emotions tightened up in my throat, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I had loved that girl like a sister and a good friend, although I never once had the thought of wanting to date her. She belonged to someone else, or at least should have.

I looked away, struggling pathetically to control the grief that swept over my body like a tidal wave and drowned out all of my thoughts. I closed my eyes, hoping to restrain my wandering mind, but it wasn't like I could get away from those memories. No one could.

I slouched away from the fireplace and headed into the kitchen, blinking the whole way.

The lights in the new room were a welcoming sight, and as soon as my vision had cleared I saw that the sliding glass door leading to the backyard was slightly open. The cool breeze blew over my face and I shivered, but not from the cold.

I walked over to the door and looked outside.

On the back porch was my wife of fifteen years, sitting on the small steps, gazing up at the pinkish-orange sunset in the sky. Our pitiful lawn wasn't even green anymore, but almost all brown with patches of yellow and soil sticking out awkwardly. She had promised to take better care of it, especially when she stayed home all the time, but she obviously had problems following through with her promises.

We even had a little garden against the far fence wall, but she always had trouble getting up the ledge (interestingly she could walk up stairs just fine) and I didn't want her to get hurt while I was out, so that area was neglected for quite a long time, and still is.

Softly, I slipped through the opening gap and approached her.

She heard me coming up before I could get too close to her and turned around sharply. Her right eye bored into me deeply as I sat down, the left one clouded white, unseeing forevermore.

In the silence, I reached out and touched the left side of her face, my fingers tracing over the pattern of heavy scars that marked her once-beautiful skin, twisting her expression into a permanent scowl.

"What do you want, Beck?" she whispered, pulling away and drawing her knees up to her chest. Her voice was hoarse and raspy, and just listening to it pained me. She sounded like an eighty-year-old when she was half that age. But of course, we were lucky that she even could talk, although her scorched vocal cords made it extremely difficult, and she couldn't sing anymore, something that broke her heart and still did.

I scooted closer to her, saying, "I wanted to see how you're doing."

"I'm doing just fine," she croaked, trying to move away from me.

"Are you thinking about _her_ again?" I asked.

My wife shook her scarred face. I saw tears running down and knew that she was lying to me. She hated admitting that she thought about that certain girl all the time and I had no problem with it, but she seemed to be indifferent.

I wrapped my arms around her body as if I could keep her from thinking about the past. Her hands came out of her long sleeves and grasped my own.

I know we've been married for fifteen years, but every time I saw her hands, wrinkled and misshapen, barely able to hold a pencil, it scared me. The wedding ring on her finger slipped up and down like it didn't quite fit. I'd offered to get the size changed many times, but for some reason, she always refused.

"It's okay, you know. I think about her all the time too." She leaned into my chest, the top of her head scratching my chin. I didn't like the way that felt. Her hair had the texture of straw and the scent of plastic. But I guess that's what wigs are supposed to feel and smell like, and it was more comfortable to look at than lump of warped flesh that's what was left of her head.

"But yesterday, when all the guys from Hollywood Arts came…it brought back the memories worse than ever," she sniffled.

Yesterday, our close friends Tori, André and Robbie had visited our home. They were all doing great thankfully, and Tori and André were already expecting their second child and their music company was booming. Robbie still lived with Rex, and was one of the best ventriloquists in the world.

It had been a little bit awkward as we exchanged stories of our current lives. I noticed that Robbie still had the necklace with the dark green bolt pendant slung around his neck. My wife didn't say a word throughout the entire gathering, even when she was asked questions. As frustrating as it was, we all had a weird understanding of her actions. She was, after all, the one who had been most affected by what happened back then.

I sighed, holding her closer.

She looked up at me, her one blue eye staring into my own. Immediately, I felt mesmerized by the sight, and it was like I could see and feel the pain and trauma she had gone through during that time. It was a truly chilling feeling.

A tear dripped down from the corner of her good eye. I wiped it away with my finger quickly. It made her look completely helpless and like she had given up on everything, especially now.

"Don't cry," I pleaded, feeling my eyes start to water. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," she replied, looking down at her hands. Her eye scanned over the disgusting scars, and another tear fell from her face. "I just can't believe how sick some people can be. Ruining lives, and not even feeling guilty." She brought her hands up and they closed around her neck, covering up the wavy disfigurements that climbed along her throat and then blossomed across her face.

I thought she was going to choke herself to death for a moment. It wouldn't have been the first time anyway. I had to hide all of the knives and razors in a locked shed, store any rope or string away, and ask the neighbors to keep an eye on her at all times that I was away at work.

But she looked up at me, her hands revealing once again the scars as she grabbed my arms tightly. The tears were flowing freely now, not only on her face but mine.

I kissed her without thinking. Her mouth molded perfectly against mine like we were made for each other, even though they were now thick with scars that popped out and made them look deformed.

We broke apart, and I saw the agony in her eye once more.

"I love you," I said, changing the topic.

"I'm glad you still love me," she rasped, her hands locking behind my neck as she sat back across my lap. "Because if you didn't, well, I guess no one would."

"Why would you say that?"

"You can figure that out just by looking at me, Beck," she said dully. I glanced down at her exposed skin, looking at the physical scars and realizing that there were many more that I just couldn't see, nor did they have true existence.

"Your mom loved you too," I reasoned.

"Yeah, well, she died a long time ago, so that doesn't count. She could hate me now and I wouldn't know. She never had to see me like this either," my wife argued.

Silence. I didn't know what to say. You could tell a girl a thousand times that she was beautiful and pretty and perfect and she wouldn't believe you.

"Let's go inside," I suggested as we looked at the setting sun.

"Fine."

My wife eased herself out of my lap and I stood up, still holding firmly onto both of her hands. She rocked back and forth on the steps for a few seconds before I pulled her forward, grabbing onto her waist immediately to keep her from falling over.

"I might be forty-one but I can still walk, Beckett," she muttered at my help.

Hesitantly, I let go of her, standing there mutely as she tried to get steady. Finally she did and took a step, self-assured, although her whole body was shaking and wobbling precariously. But before I could reach out and keep her from falling, she had gained her balance and took another stride.

I followed her to the door, moving at snail's pace. It wasn't her fault of course, and I had gotten use to her slow movements over the years. She limped so heavily it looked like she was going to topple over at any second, but she never did. I'd offered to get her a wheelchair or cane, but she always refused.

We made our way into the house to the family room. She trudged over to the couch and I turned the television on, not even bothering to see what the channel was. I sat next to her and she didn't object. She snuggled up and put her head on my shoulder.

I held her closely, like I was afraid that I might lose her forever. I almost had actually, and I had no desire to be reminded of that terrible day.

She started touching my throat with her cold fingers, probably jealous that her skin would never be smooth and clean like mine ever again. I saw her fingers retract back to her own throat, touching the scars and frowning.

"I don't deserve to have someone as handsome as you," she said simply.

"And any guy who would be with you would certainly be the luckiest man in the world," I responded, pressing my lips into her hair. I knew, a long time ago, that she loved it when I did that. But after that day, she had lost all of her hair and probably most of the feeling up there.

"You're just saying that."

"I mean it, babe. I really do," I persisted, hearing the soft noises coming from the TV, but my brain wasn't registering them. "I loved you twenty-five years ago and I still love you the same now."

Her distorted face was shining with please. "That's a long time to love someone."

"Yes it is." Sometimes I had the feeling that we weren't even married because of the way we acted. We talked just like we did back in high school, and it made me feel like we were just dating, not committed to each other for life. But that's not to say that I wanted to leave her, because she was just perfect the way she was, no matter how she looked.

"No matter what you do. No matter what anyone _else _does to you. No matter what happens, I'll always love you the same," I replied in a normal tone. I always said that to her, and for some reason, it always made her calmer.

She smiled at me, and for a moment I could see her old self.

Her young, sixteen-year-old self.

The girl that wasn't afraid of anything.

The girl that was fierce but caring.

The girl who went to the end for her best friend, and ended up with physical, mental, and emotional scars that not even years and years of therapy could fix, no matter how hard anyone tried.

The girl that I fell in love with.

I pulled her into a passionate embrace, unaware of my surroundings. I fell back onto the couch, her sitting on top of me, her lips against mine in the glowing lights of the TV screen. It might not have been a very romantic setting, but just being with her made everything all the better.

She lay down on my chest, looking straight into my eyes.

I stared back at her, seeing past the scarred, outer shell and looking deep down into her soul.

"I love you, Jade. Forever and ever."

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**Seems like a Bade I know...but don't worry. Cade starts next chapter.**

**Remember to you guys, this is a mystery story, so almost every little detail I mention could be an important clue. I've got the entire thing planned out, down to what happens in each chapter, so even if it takes me a while to get them all out, I won't be giving up on this. **

**I hope you're interested in what will eventually happen. Please review. :)**


	2. That Night

**All right, so I'm trying a new way of writing, which is to put as much detail and stop repeating words as much as possible. I hope you notice, because otherwise I'm just wasting hours doing this. XD **

**Just kidding. This is a fun story to write...so far. Read and enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 1  
Jade's POV

The heater purred loudly, blasting me with its warmth as I huddled low in the front seat of my car. Rain pounded mercilessly on the window and it kept a steady beat to the music coming out of the old blaring radio. My fingers were curled around a picture keychain resting in my lap as I gazed outside, the images blurred and wavy from the drops of water running down.

I was by a park near my neighborhood as well as Cat's. It was a very nice place during the day, with top-condition playground equipment and nice benches and picnic tables to hang out with your friends on. When I was younger, I used to come here all the time with parents. It was one of the better memories of my childhood.

But now it was night, and there was no one here, unless you counted the hooligans with spray cans and bats tramping around looking for something valuable to vandalize, and this place served as more of a memorial than an actual park for me.

My breath was coming out in short bursts as I looked at the photo in my hands.

It was a picture of my mom and me, standing back-to-back in a goofy Charlie's angels pose. It was one of the last pictures we ever took together. We were grinning broadly, holding up our fake guns and looking like we were having the time of our lives.

Something wet splashed down onto my mom's face. I wiped it off quickly with my sleeve like I thought it was going to be permanently soiled, even though there was a plastic shell protecting it.

Tears were running down my nose at an alarmingly fast rate, dripping off the tip and spattering anything and everything below. I rubbed my eyes with my hand, grinding the salty trails deeper into my makeup. Flipped the keychain over, I read the words I had scrawled onto the backside in a black velvet pen:

_I love you, Mom. Always did, always will. 1966-2011_

I put the precious object onto the dusty dashboard, bowing my head over the steering wheel and bringing my hands together in a prayer-like stance. The rain was thundering against the outside of my car, and I was sure it was going to leave dents on the already-chipping paint.

I turned up the music on the radio, trying to drown out the sounds of falling water and the memories of the past.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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_It was about six months into my freshman year at Hollywood Arts, and I was doing pretty well. I actually looked forward to the school days and performing in front of audiences all the time couldn't have been better. My dad wasn't too thrilled with having to pay for me to go there, but my mom knew that it would help me out in the long run. _

_I had just gotten home that special afternoon, dumping my backpack onto the kitchen table before going over to the oak cabinets to see if I could find anything worth eating. Dad loved to raid it of all the junk food, and Mom would always try and hide the new stock she bought from the grocery store to no prevail. They had a pretty cute relationship I had to admit. _

_I finally found a bag of half-eaten chips and was stuffing my face when I heard the front door open and close quickly, realizing that my dad must been home early, which was unusual. I heard his heavy footsteps in the living room and the sound of his briefcase slamming onto the floor. _

_ He suddenly barged into the kitchen, completely ignoring me and running towards the TV. He was about to turn it on when he stopped, noticing that I was there and watching him closely._

_ "Hello, Jade," he said sweetly, plopping down on the couch causally._

"_Wassup, Dad?" I crunched around the chips loudly. "Why are you home so early?"_

"_I just need to do a lot of reading tonight, so I figured I'd come home to do it," he replied, throwing up pillows and blankets in search of something. "But, uh, it seems that I've left it in the car. Would you be a good girl and go get it for me?"_

_ I paused, a piece of chip dangling above my mouth._

"_Sure," I said, shoving the rest into my mouth and wiping my greasy fingers on my pants. I set the bag down on the counter and skipped to the garage, not observing how the awkward the situation really was. _

_The workbook was sitting in the backseat of his luxury car, thicker than a _Harry Potter _novel but probably a million times more boring. He was one of these head managers at a bank company, and he was always bringing home things from the office to read. _

_I went back into the house, finding him sitting curtly on the couch, watching an episode of _House_. He thanked me silently for the book and cracked it open without another word. That was usually my cue to leave him alone, so I picked up the bag of chips and went upstairs. _

_For the rest of the day, my father was glued to the television. A few minutes before dinner I snuck around a corner and tried to see what he was watching. It was just the news, but when I'd entered the room he'd change the channel. _

_I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong. I texted Mom several times, telling her that something was wrong with Dad, but she never replied._

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_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_

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_At about eight o'clock, Dad came into my room, saying that Mom's car had broken down and he was going to pick her up. I figured that was why she wasn't texting me back. I was perfectly at ease, and continued to do my homework. _

_My dad didn't return until well after midnight._

_ I was fast asleep in bed when he opened up the door and came in. Groggily, I sat up and rubbed my eyes as he sat down on the edge of the bed. It was dark, and I'm sure if he had taken the liberty of turning on the light I would've been more prepared for the information he would give me since then I could see the terrible expression on his face. _

"_Jade, do you remember how earlier, I was watching TV for hours on end?" he asked. I nodded, realizing that he couldn't see me, so I said 'yes' instead. "Well, I was actually watching the news because your mother's workplace was being featured."_

Well that explains why he kept changing channels_, I thought. I said, "Oh, that's cool. Why didn't you tell me? We could've watched it together."_

_Suddenly, his hand grabbed mine that was lying on top of the blankets. _

"_Jade, your mother's office was featured on the news…because it had caught on fire," my dad choked out, his voice sounding so weak and feeble. My heart skipped a beat. I'd never seen or heard him like this in my life, and it was scaring me. _

"_The firefighters had put out the fire and investigated what was left of the building. I went and talked to them myself, which is why I left earlier."_

"_So you got Mom and her car?" I asked. _

"_No. There were no survivors from the incident, Jade."_

"_What?" He was just talking gibberish now._

"_Your mother's not coming home. Her and everyone else in the building at the time got trapped and didn't make it out. The place is in ashes, no bodies, no nothing." The way he said it was so cold, it was almost like he wanted this to happen to his beloved wife. But I figured out later it was because he had never expressed this type of sorrowful emotion in his life. _

"_Don't lie to me, Dad. Tell me you're kidding. Please," I started blubbering, my mind unable to absorb the words he had just spoken. The only thing I understood was that my mom's building had caught on fire, and she _wasn't _coming home. _

_"I'm so sorry, Jade," my dad said. _

_ I sat there, my mouth gaping wide open, another hole of black in the darkness of my room. I wanted to say something, of comfort or sorrow, but I just couldn't. Was my mom really dead? This had to be a joke. Some cruel, messed up joke that my father was playing on me. _

_But that's when he pulled me in for a hug. And I knew he wasn't lying. _

_ My mom was really dead._

_ Gone forever._

_She would never come back home and buy junk food my dad would steal, or sit and help me rehearse for my scenes in upcoming plays. _

_Dad patted the back of my head as I cried into his shoulder. I couldn't stop the tears flowing from my eyes or the sobs hiccupping from my throat. I wasn't just upset that I would never see my mom again._

_ I was horrified at the fact that I never got a chance to tell her how much I loved her._

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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I snapped out of the past with a start, looking down and finding my shirt and half the car seat soaked with tears. I blew my nose out with a tissue, sobs erupting out of me involuntary.

It had been three years since her death was announced to me. I was a mess at the time, but my friends showed surprising fealty towards me and helped me out with, well, everything.

The funeral had been a lame one. Since her body was never recovered and my dad was too depressed to go out and purchase a headstone for his cherished wife to plant down in the backyard, we bought a golden plaque with her name and time here on Earth and set it up in the living room. But on each anniversary of her death, I would come out here to the park and spend my time mourning in my car, unknown to my dad.

Dad changed a lot after Mom died. He didn't want to do anything anymore, and I knew something was wrong after he stopped stealing the junk food from the pantry. He was very secluded, and liked to spend too much time away from home, away from a daughter who needed him the most. But I got over it, and now we barely so much as said 'good morning' to each other everyday.

The cause of the fire was later determined to be the work of an arsonist, possibly the exact same one that's been terrorizing the hills of Hollywood for the past fourteen years. They'd never been caught yet, obviously, but I vowed to catch them one day and make them pay for basically ruining my relationship with my parents.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered to nobody. It haunted me that I had never told her my true feelings, after realizing how much she really did for me.

The digital clock on the headboard read 12:05. It was probably time to start heading home. I'd been here since ten, in a silent woe the entire time.

I slipped the picture from the dashboard into my pocket. It was something I always carried around with me, sometimes clipped to my belt loop or just sitting in my pants. It made me feel like she was always there by my side, not just mentally or emotionally, but also physically.

I started up the car, feeling it rumble dramatically beneath me. I pulled away from the curb and headed out into the darkness. The rain had subsided slightly, but the roads were still slippery with water.

My windshield wipers flapped around like crazy, even so barely clearing a clean surface for me to see through properly. I drove slowly and cautiously, my headlights shining bright against the murky ground.

I came up to a T-junction, gradually lowering my speed and looking towards the other opening carefully to see if any cars were approaching. I did have the right of way, but at this time of night, you could never be too careful. I thought I saw a vehicle coming up fast, but there were no lights of any, so it was probably just a reflection against a parked truck or something.

Of course, I was totally wrong.

BAM!

The right side of my car was crushed against the impact of another with a loud crunch. I saw the door cave in as I spun out of control, tires screeching against the slick asphalt. The airbag exploded in my face, and I panicked trying to find the smooth edges of the steering wheel and set my car straight.

I came to a halt, now facing the wrong way on my side of the road. I coughed, attempting to push the airbag out of the way unsuccessfully. I assessed my surroundings quickly.

The right side door was pushed inwards, and the window had turned solid white, cracks weaving out of one small hole, threatening to cave in and shower me with glass. There was smoke, and the scent of burning rubber. My lights were flashing on and off at a nearby tree.

I freed my hands from my sides, taking off my seatbelt and pushing the air-filled bag out of the way before stumbling onto the ground. My keychain was still safe in my pocket, and I pulled my red phone out. I looked around in the battering rain and saw the other car, its lights off.

_What a fricking idiot_, I thought, pushing damp hair out of my eyes. I pressed the button on my phone to turn it on, shining the blurry stream of light onto the road that was practically greasy with water.

I walked towards it, my boots wading in forming puddles and spraying water up my legs. As I got closer to the car, the driver's door opened up. Two hands appeared on the blacktop as if the person was coming out headfirst. _What the heck_? I waved my phone back and forth, trying to get a better look.

There was a dull splash and the door swung out even farther as the top of body fell out, their legs still perched up inside. They sprawled out their arms, turning their head to one side.

I approached slowly, observing the side of the head in the dimness of the streetlights and my phone. The hair was long and luscious-looking, but I couldn't quite see the color.

I circled the body so I could see their face. My breath caught in my throat as I said the words.

"Cat?"

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**Wow this is probably my record of having a cliffhanger on the second chapter (well, technically first :P). Sorry.**

**But are you interested now? Hahaha. :) Hopefully you now have an idea of how this story is set with Jade's life, like the fact that she's not abused physically (like in my other story) and stuff. **

**So yep. It can only get more interesting from here, correct? :D**

**Review!**


	3. Stay with Me

**Please excuse me if the characters are horribly OCC. This is one of the hardest chapters I've had to write EVER for some reason, and I had to keep deleting and rewriting too many times to count.**

**So you better like it. :P **

**Super long author's note at the bottom to clear things up that you might be wondering about as you read. :)**

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CHAPTER 2  
Jade's POV

Cat's body was stiller than stone, even when I had whispered her name. I knelt down, my knees splashing in dirty puddles, water sloshing all around us. My phone slipped out of my pocket, landing on the sodden tarmac, but I couldn't care less.

My best friend was in trouble and she needed me.

"Cat?" I repeated, turning her over slowly. She was heavy with water and a dead weight in my arms. She might've been unconscious and unresponsive, but I was certainly not prepared for the sight that awaited me.

A huge gash ripped across her forehead; it looked like a grisly bandana. Bruises covered her cheeks and one eye; sharp fingerprints played across her throat, each one spread out evenly from the next. Her arms, half-concealed in sleeves, showed an array of scratches, cuts, and welts easily the size of a man's fist.

Her shirt—a green color was what I could make out in the dimness—was completely soaked in blood on the upper half. At first I thought that was the design, until I touched it and pulled away, my fingertip red. The only reason I knew she was alive was from the faint rise and fall of her chest, and the tiny billowing clouds of smoke appearing from her nose.

The rain did not cease as tears slipped from my eyes. I pulled Cat's limp body into my lap. The blood from her shirt was already starting to soak into my pants, mixed with the rainwater.

Just as I was starting to lift up her top, Cat suddenly came to life, smacking my hands out of the way and reaching up to grab my face.

"J-J-Jade?" she asked, her fingernails digging uncomfortably into my chin. Abruptly, she let out a moan and her arms fell to her chest, wrapping around her back.

"Yes, it's me," I answered, "What happened?" I adjusted my body to shield her as best as I could from the rain, which was just my head leaning over her prone form.

"H-h-he c-c-c-came…" she chattered, not able to complete her sentence. Her eyes were shining with tears of pain, and my heart burned angrily.

"Shh, don't talk. It's okay; you're going to be okay." I reached over and slid my phone by my side, ignoring the little waves of water splashing towards me. Cat was shaking in my arms, and I could barely dial the three numbers that would save her life.

"H-he c-came, Jade," Cat repeated. "He h-h-hurt me. R-re-really bad, Jadey." I swallowed loudly when she used her nickname that I was secretly fond of. She closed her eyes and groaned, her lips barely moving as she said, "I-I don't w-w-want t-to d-die."

"And you're not going to," I replied firmly. I glanced over at my phone, which was still trying to connect to the server. This was a real emergency, why in the world was it taking so fricking long?

I started to talk to Cat, to keep her focused on something other than the pain and the fact that my call was not going through.

"Tell me what happened. Tell me what happened, Cat."

"S-s-someone came," she choked out, pain flooding her voice and hurting my heart, but she continued. "H-h-he broke i-in th-thro-through t-t-the back, a-and c-co-cornered me in my b-b-bedroom.

"He was v-v-very angry but I d-don't know w-why. He k-kept s-s-saying things like, 'I'm g-g-going to d-de-destroy you and your-r-r entire fa-fami-family' a-an-and 'I'm in c-c-control, and y-you can't do anything about it-t-t.' He h-hi-hit m-me o-over and over, and didn't stop w-when I-I asked-d him to."

"How did you get out?" I asked. My phone was still beeping and buzzing away, causing my heart to hammer wildly and the blood was rushing in my ears.

"He j-just l-left," Cat responded. "I got into the g-g-garage and took a car."

_Well, that would explain why her lights weren't on and she crashed into me. It seems impossible to me to be able to drive in a state like this_.

Without warning, an animatronic voice came out of my cell phone.

"The number you are trying to reach is unavailable. Please call back in a few minutes. We are sorry for any inconveniences we have caused," a woman's voice explained.

I shook my head, gritting my teeth and trying not to slam my fists on the ground in frustration. _This was a matter of _life or death_! If Cat doesn't make it out of here all because of no one picking up the phones at the police station or whatever, I will spend the rest of my life getting back at those people_.

_And I hope that Cat didn't hear anything_. I glanced at my best friend's face, which was glazed over and she held herself and panted, her eyes squeezed shut tightly.

"Tell me more, Cat," I begged, trying to tune out the hum of rain.

"I-I c-c-can't, Jadey. I can't breathe…" She was gasping like crazy, puffs of cold air floating in front of her face. She sniffled and snuffled, tears streaming down her face.

I didn't even know what exactly was wrong with her, besides the obvious scrapes and bumps. I smoothed her hair and rested my chin on her head in a comforting way, but she yelped and tried to pull away.

"Cat, Cat, stop," I said. "Look at me, okay? Look at me." Her pained eyes met mine. "You're going to be fine, all right?" She stopped struggling for a few moments. "I'm not going to let anything hap—"

BOOM!

There was a noise so loud I thought my eardrums had shattered. I didn't wait for the humming to clear before moving Cat and myself closer to her car. She squealed in pain, ducking her head into my chest and wrapping her arms around my back.

I looked into some nearby puddles, hoping to see a reflection of what was going on behind us. Everything seemed to light up, and I saw, to my absolute horror, a mushroom cloud of fire exploding a nearby house in the rippling image of the water.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I turned around, craning my neck to see through the windows and saw the actual eruption-thing. There was another boom, shaking the ground like an earthquake. I scooted with Cat in my arms until my back was pressed firmly against the deteriorating metal. My phone was forgotten several feet away.

Gravel and wood hit the opposite side of the car, the windows and windshield shattering one by one. Glass spilled all over my hair and the back of my neck, and I winced feeling it cut my skin, but glad that it didn't touch Cat.

_What the heck is going on to cause something like that_? It sounded like a nuclear explosion was happening—but if that _were_ happening then we'd all be dead by now.

Neighbors were screaming and shouting, dogs were barking, and I could see everything clearly with the lights of the fire, except for the rain in my eyes.

_We are definitely near Cat's house_, I realized, looking at our surroundings. My car, parked a little while away, was near one of the big oak trees that I used to always hang around when I waited for Cat so we could go out or something. All of the houses looked identical, with tiled, sloping roofs, gates in front of the front doors, and a white picket fence surrounding the green lawns.

"Jade, J-Jade what's h-h-happening?" Cat wanted to know.

"Nothing. Just relax, okay? Help is coming," I lied.

"N-No. Something bad-d is h-hap-happening, isn't there, Jade?" Blood was dripping steadily down the back of my neck, and I shook my head like a dog in an attempt to get rid of the drops.

Cat continued speaking. "W-w-why is ev-ever-everything so b-bri-bright? Did I d-d-die?"

"You're still alive," I assured her. "There's just a fire."

"F-f-f-fire?" Cat's teeth trembled. She grabbed her chest, like she couldn't breathe as gut-wrenching sobs racked through her tiny body.

"Don't cry, it's okay, it's okay," I mumbled, rocking back and forth as tears fell from my face onto her bloody shirt. Cat shook her head, biting her lip and trying to wipe her eyes.

My ears perked up suddenly when I heard the sound of a siren. It was getting louder and louder by the second. Maybe it was an ambulance, or a fire truck, or even a police car? I strained to figure out the rhythm and tone of the alarm, knowing that each one was different from the next.

"Can you hold on one minute, Cat, one minute?" I begged, even though I had identified the sound as a fire truck, they could still help us. Cat was gasping and crying, and I pressed my palm against her heart, blood seeping through immediately and soaking my hand.

Her fingers struggled to wrap around mine, and I looked into her deadened, agony-filled eyes. Her lips trembled to form words, although no sound came out anymore. She lifted a hand to touch my face and I grabbed it, afraid that she would drop it and that would be the last thing I ever felt.

But her eyes rolled in her head before shutting, and I couldn't see anymore after that because the tears clouded my vision.

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"Cat, Cat, Cat," I blubbered helplessly. "No no no no no!" I looked around, blinking to clear my eyes. The siren was deafening, and a huge red fire truck was pulling up, its lights spinning and flashing wildly, not that it did anything to help me see since the fire on the house was bright enough to light up the entire street.

My heart started to burn fiercely; I almost choked at the strong feeling pounding through my body. I had never felt such emotional pain like this before. Well, I sort of did when I found out that my mom had died, but this was different for some reason.

Attempting to look around, I made out the watery shapes of men in yellow-gray suits with their faces covered in masks piling out of the red truck. They carried a flattened hose, which they hooked up to a nearby fire hydrant and water began to fill out its form.

An ambulance pulled up next, and then a couple police cars. I saw the people in white uniforms hopping out, carrying a gurney and with walkie-talkies they dispersed, trying to find someone who needed their assistance.

I wanted to wave my hand to get someone's attention, but the cramping in my chest wouldn't let me raise my arms, let alone take a decent breath.

"Hey, we got two girls over here!"

Without warning, there was a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and saw the grim face of a paramedic. I could not have been happier to see someone that could help us. The man's eyes fell onto Cat's body, and his expression was unreadable.

"Can we get a stretcher over here, please?" he shouted, turning around. He kneeled down next to me, holding Cat's head gently in his hands. "What happened? Did you guys get into a car accident?" He must've noticed the way our cars were facing.

I nodded, unable to speak, tears and rain dripping off my chin.

A woman appeared with a stretcher at the man's side.

"All right Miss, I'm going to need you to let go of her, okay? We'll need to take her to the hospital." I glared at the man, trying to seem threatening when I was falling apart. I held Cat tighter in my arms. "Please, Miss. I promise nothing bad will happen to her. You have to trust me."

"No," I sniveled, cradling Cat closer to my chest. "No."

"If you want her to live, you'll need to let us take care of her, okay?" The man's words were suddenly harsh, but his tone was not. There was so much truth in what he had just said that it actually hurt me.

But I couldn't let go of Cat. I had no idea if she was even still alive at this point, and I was panicking too much to stop and check. Just holding her gave me a sense that she was still here, even if she really wasn't.

"Miss! Let go, please!" the man begged desperately, trying to take her out of my arms. I shook my head, struggling to keep the torrent of tears under control. I probably looked like a wimp right now.

Just then, something slammed down on the inside of my elbows, and although it didn't hurt, my reflex was to extend them and I did, loosening my grip on Cat long enough for the man to snatch her out of my arms.

The person behind me, whoever they were, reached forward and grabbed my shoulders before I could reach for Cat again. I watched as she was strapped down to the gurney quickly.

Each breath I took was a spasm of pain in my chest. I tried to stop breathing, to end the torture, but my sobs and hiccups forced me to continue inhaling and exhaling. The person holding me wrapped his arms around my waist as I fought against him violently, clawing at his hands like an animal.

"Calm down, kid, it's going to be okay. We're here to help you, not hurt you," the person whispered into my ear.

I tried to tell him that no, it was not okay, but the only noise that came from my throat was a gurgling sound. Everything was turning blurrier and blurrier. The reflection of the fire was the only thing I could see on the ground, and the noises in my ears were dulled.

"G-g-g-g-get o-o-f-f-f of m-m-m-e-e," I choked finally. "I-I-I n-ne-nee-need C-C-C-Ca-Ca-t…"

"You can come to the van," the person replied grimly when he realized how desperate I was. Still keeping a firm hold around me, I was towed over to the back of the ambulance where Cat was being loaded carefully into the back.

I didn't get a long look at her because I was directed towards the front, the man yanking open the door and shoving me in, tying the seatbelt across my lap before I could jump up and get to Cat.

The driver, a different person, was next to me in an instant, barely looking surprised as he revved the engine and turned on the sirens.

"Take her to the hospital with that one," the man by my side said, "That's her friend in the back." The driver nodded knowingly without a word.

The door slammed and I turned around, looking at my best friend.

The medics had already cut her shirt open, and the sight that waited almost made me sick. Her body was covered with blood, and there were some slash marks close to her collarbone and stomach. I could see clearly now that she was alive, but just barely breathing.

I wanted to know how she was doing, but couldn't speak to ask.

The woman EMT was hooking up an IV to Cat's pale, cold arm, and I faced the front of the ambulance again. The front view mirror showed the horror of the flaming house, part of the crazed inferno dying down, thanks to the firefighters and the rain, and the building was unrecognizable.

Rain lashed onto the windshield, the wipers frantically moving back and forth to keep up and maintain a clear view for the driver.

I wrapped my arms around my body, the aching worse than ever. I rubbed my hands over my face, and looked down at my shirt, realizing that I was covered with Cat's blood.

"You okay, kid?" the driver asked, breaking the sounds of the monitors in the back whirling and beeping madly. "We'll get you cleaned up when we get to the hospital."

"O-o-k-okay," I whispered hoarsely.

_Oh god Cat, whatever you do, please don't die. If you stay here with me, I promise I'll do everything I can to find the man who hurt you. I promise._

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**Let me make something clear before your mind gets ahead of you:**

**No matter what happened to Cat (which you'll find out later) she DID NOT GET RAPED. I will not be writing a story about that subject ever. I don't think a lot of people really realize how scarring/traumatizing it can be (and no, I've never been raped in real life, but in my dream, yes, and I was not able to look at the person who did it for a long time), which kind of bothers me. **

**And yes, sometimes 911 does not pick up right away. I witnessed a car accident, and my dad tried to call them, but they said "We are busy, please call back in a few minutes" or something like that. So it can happen, although very unlikely.**

**Okay, I am done with my rant. Tell me what you think! :D You know that newly-improved button down there wants to be pressed! ;)**


	4. The Hospital

**This chapter is for: Ameha Kay. I swear, you've reviewed like every single one of my stories multiple times (not that I'm complaining :D). That takes some serious dedication. So to thank you—because P.M.'s are never enough—I wrote this entire chapter JUST FOR YOU.**

**So I hope you like it. And everyone else who's been reading _but not reviewing_. **

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CHAPTER 3  
Jade's POV

We arrived at the hospital within minutes and the driver almost had to sit on me to keep me from going after Cat when they wheeled her out of the back and took her straight to the ER.

"Do you have a phone on you?" the driver, whose name was Aiden, asked as we hopped out of the van and headed towards the building.

I patted my pockets just to double check, although I already knew the answer. Nope. I'd left it on the ground back at the scene of crime and forgotten to go back for it. Not that I really cared anyway. It was probably broken from all of the water that got into its system, but I'm going to guess Dad wouldn't be happy when it came to paying for a new one.

"Here. We'll take you to get cleaned up and then we'll call your parents." Aiden grabbed my hand, which I scowled at but didn't object to, and led me inside.

We walked past people in the big main lobby, their heads bowed in prayers for loved ones, and lots of loud nose blowing filled the air. The receptionists were sitting at desks full of cluttered paper, answering ringing phones and calling people up.

Aiden took me into the back where there were a set of doors going down the brightly lit halls. We turned through one of them and I found myself in a small room, with one chair, a sink and examination table. It reminded me of a prison.

"I'll be back," Aiden explained before leaving.

So I sat there, the paper covering the table sticking to my pants, and blood smearing the white surface. It was surprisingly warm in here, but my soggy clothes did nothing to improve my mood. The walls were a creamy white, and decorated with pictures of happy things, like birthday parties and smiling faces and graduation ceremonies. They were all, of course, hand-drawn, none of them actually real photos.

Of course they wouldn't be real. The pictures basically showed a whole new world, because nothing in ours was perfect. If it was, I'd still have my mom and my best friend would be fine, not trying to hang onto life in some surgery room.

Just then, the door opened up, and Aiden's black hair peeked around the corner. Seeing that I was just sitting there doing nothing, he came in, his arms holding a pair of blue jeans, T-shirt and a feathery towel. He set the items next to me.

"Change into these and then I'll check you out, okay?" he explained.

Frowning, I narrowed my eyes.

Aiden coughed. "I meant check you out as in make sure you're okay and didn't get hurt or anything," he corrected himself.

_Okay, much better_.

He left the room for the second time as I stripped off my clothes, using the towel to dry my body. The white material quickly became crusty with Cat's blood (and a little bit of mine) and soppy with water. I pulled on the clean clothes, bringing the shirt collar up to my nose and sniffing it. It smelt like a hospital, sterile and clean.

Shuddering, I went to let Aiden back into the room. He ripped the damp paper off of the table and replaced it with a new one from the long roll by the wall, gesturing me to sit back down.

After that he did a whole bunch of boring tests on me, checking my eyes, nose, throat and ears. Aiden found a bruise on the inner part of my right elbow, but it wasn't serious.

The worst part was the back of my neck though, which was covered in many shallow cuts from the windows of Cat's car. Aiden almost had to call in an assistant when he started to clean them out because I did not want him coming anywhere near me with a bottle of alcohol. But after a painful ten minutes, he got the job done, and I wasn't going to need stitches.

I didn't need to stay after that, but I wanted to so I could get updates on Cat. They brought me into an empty visitor's room, which looked like a miniature version of the lobby without the noise and people. I used the telephone and dialed up my friends (Aiden had tried to get ahold of my dad a while ago, but he was 'busy'), telling them to get over here as fast as possible. The receptionist had already contacted Cat's family, and they were supposedly already here, but I hadn't seen them yet.

At about 1:30 a.m., Tori, André, Beck and Robbie arrived, which was extremely fast considering I had only called them minutes ago. They came barging through the visitor's room door, all of their faces pale, especially my boyfriend.

"Jade! Are you okay?" Beck rushed over to me, his arms wrapping around my waist and he practically lifted me off of the ground. "What happened? Something about a car accident? Why didn't you call us earlier?"

"Because I couldn't," I replied, putting my face against his shoulder.

After much hugging and the small reunion, everyone sat down in the chairs by the walls. Tori was next to André, Beck refused to let go of me and I had to sit on his lap, and Robbie was by the corner farthest from me, his face pale and the corners of his mouth twitching.

"All right, babe, so give us a full account of what happened," Beck started.

I opened up my mouth, tears pricking my eyes just thinking about the events that happened barely an hour ago. No one said anything as I struggled to recollect myself. After a few seconds, I was fine and began telling my story.

"So I was driving home and—"

"At twelve o'clock at night?" Tori interrupted suddenly.

I glared at her as angrily as I could. "Yes, Vega. It's great that you can tell time," I muttered sarcastically. I wasn't going to tell them why, but Beck knew, so his arms squeezed gently around my waist, and I kept going. "As I was trying to say, I was driving by Cat's neighborhood when another car crashed into me, but at first I had no idea who it was.

"I got out of my car, and found Cat lying there, and she looked really messed up. She kept trying to tell me something, that someone had come broken into her house and hurt her, but she was really hard to understand.

"And then a house behind us—out of nowhere—just exploded into flames. Cat passed out, and I was freaking out really badly and getting upset because 911 wasn't picking up, those filthy liars.

"Luckily some paramedics found us, I guess because someone else called them because of the fire, and took care of Cat and brought me along too. So that's how we got here," I concluded, "and I still have no idea how she is." The tears had stopped, but I still had to blink like a maniac to keep them from coming out.

My friends had mixed reactions. Tori looked absolutely appalled, and André's mouth mashed into a hard line. Beck kissed me lightly on the cheek, and I put my hands on his arms, leaning back into his body.

But Robbie had the most unexpected response. He sat there, unmoving, his eyes flickering with pain and guilt. His mouth was shut as he stared at the wall next to him. I would've thought he might be more upset that his _lover _was hurt, but I guess I was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay Shapiro?" I asked, actually concerned for once.

"Yeah, yeah," he garbled. Wiping his eyes quickly, he turned to face us. "I just…I just can't believe that something like this would happen to our Cat."

_Yeah…our Cat_.

Beck was shaking his head like he agreed. Then his hands moved up to my shoulders, brushing my hair aside.

"Hey, what's this?" He was pointing to my bandaged neck.

"Oh, I got cut with glass from Cat's car," I replied, moving my hair down to cover it back up. "It's nothing. You should've how she looked. Well actually, maybe it's better if you didn't." I shook my head, trying to clear it of the images popping up.

There was a silence, the only noise coming from the old TV hanging from the

ceiling. We all turned our heads to watch.

"Welcome back to News at 12, on channel eight. Right now one of our reporters is at the scene of a recent fire, just happening less than an hour ago. We'll go to you, Eva."

A pretty young lady appeared, although the expression on her face wasn't so. "As you can see behind me are the remains of a house on Farfield Street. At approximately 12:08 a.m. this morning, neighbors and other witnesses reported that it suddenly burst into flames. 911 was called to the scene, and even with the rain, it still took a while to extinguish the fire.

"Officials have entered what is left and determined this the work of an arsonist. As of now, no one has been injured directly from the fire. Hopefully they can figure out who caused this mess. Back to you, Shelia."

_Arsonist_? My heart started beating faster. Beck's sensed my discomfort and started rubbing my arm. _Oh my god, what if it's the same person who started the fire that killed my mom three years ago_?

"Are you okay, Jade?" Tori asked suddenly.

Just then, three people burst into our little visitor's room, two men and a woman, each of them looking incredibly familiar. The older, tired-looking man glanced at the TV, seeing what we were watching, and then looked back at me.

"Jade?" he said, coming forward and standing in front of Beck and me. "Do you remember me? We've only met a couple of times before, I believe. I'm Mr. Valentine, and you probably already recognize my wife and son." Mrs. Valentine smiled sadly, and Cat's brother waved at us.

"Hi, Mr. Valentine," I said. "How are you doing?"

Mr. Valentine sat down across from me, his wife in front of Robbie, and her son next to her. Robbie stiffened up when they were seated, and he wiped his face on his hands, like he was trying to get rid of something. It better be tears.

"Well, we've been here for about half and hour now, and the doctors have told us what's wrong with Cat. We also understand that you were the last person she talked to before falling unconscious," Mr. Valentine explained in a jittery manner.

"Yes," I said uneasily. Beck stood up and I slid down his lap. But he quickly moved farther from me in a chair next to—ugh—_Tori _and left me to have the chair completely to myself, which I didn't mind at all.

"And, we were, uh, wondering if you could share with us exactly what she said. The police said they might be able to find her attacker if you do."

"Um…" I stared down at my hands, feeling a lump rising in my throat. I didn't want to go back and think about the terrifying things that she had told me. But the looks on her parents' faces told me that I had to, no matter what.

"Well…she said that someone broke into the house and attacked her in her bedroom," I answered. "But wait, how come you guys weren't home? It was like twelve at night!" I said it without realizing how abruptly I had changed the subject.

The Valentines were taken aback.

"I work as a bartender," Mr. Valentine responded calmly, "during the night shift, so I'm away from the house at this time almost every day."

"And I had to take Raz to his special doctor," Mrs. Valentine said, patting her son on the head.

"At night?" I questioned.

"Yes," Mrs. Valentine replied firmly. "Like I said, it's a very special hospital and they only operate at night." _Sounds a little shady to me_. "You know how Raz is, and a lot of places aren't able to accommodate properly for him in my opinion. And anyway, he is a lot more calm at night, so this is perfect for him."

"So what exactly is wrong with Cat and where is she now?" André interrupted.

"The doctors are fixing her up as we speak and so far they've found three broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and numerous cuts and bruises," Mrs. Valentine explained matter-of-factly. "Nothing too serious, thank God."

"Okay," I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that the worst hadn't happened to her. She'd get better within time.

"Do you know when they're going to be done?" André was very anxious.

"Hard to say," Mr. Valentine said. "But when the doctors are finished, I'll tell them to let you kids know.

"Oh, and by the way, Jade, the police should be here in a few minutes. They want to get an account of the incident from you as well." Mr. Valentine stood up and his family followed. _The police? Are you kidding me_? "So we'd best be going. I need to talk to the insurance company about our house."

"Your house?"

"Yes," he said tiredly and gesturing to the TV, "because it was the one that burned down."

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**Ahh! More drama and mystery! This can only go one way... **

**Okay...so I have some really important news to tell you guys.**

**It's the end of another school year (yay!), but that means that I need to return my macbook that I've been writing all of my stories on up until this point.**

**Good news, is that I have a desktop computer that I will be transferring everything over to and continuing there. Bad news, updates will definitely be a lot slower, especially since it's more public and it's not like I can bring it anywhere besides my desk.**

**Enjoy the speediness of updates while you can, and remember, one review is one update!**


	5. Alliances and Apartments

**How many of you watched Tori Goes Platinum huh? JORI ALL THE WAY BABY.**

**But I still love Cade. :) Second best to me. **

**This chapter is for: sloth13. For your amazing reviews on the past few chapters. THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. :D**

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CHAPTER 4  
Jade's POV

_Cat's bruised and cut face stood out from the white sheets in which her body was encased. Her eyelids were flickering like she was trying to open them, and the quiet was filled with the sounds of a steady heartbeat and calm pulse._

_ I was holding her cold hand in mine, trying not to stare at her too much._

_ No one else was in the room with me; the nurses only allowed one visitor at a time unless they were direct family, a rule I found to be extremely stupid. But that meant that I could have my 'private time,' which was absolutely necessary since I liked to talk to her, even though I knew she couldn't hear me. _

_ Very rarely was Cat conscious during the times I came to visit her. The very last time she was, she had a panic attack because it hurt her too much to breathe and she passed out. After that, the doctors wanted her to stay in this state until her body had healed enough so she wouldn't be in agony when she was awake. _

_ I hadn't gone to school yet (it had been about three days), mostly because I couldn't bear being in a place where she wasn't. I didn't realize how much she made a difference in my life until now. Beck had been coming over to my house day after school, to bring me my homework and hang out, to the point where he was actually annoying. _

_ I looked up at Cat, and she huffed a heavy sigh. She had one of those weird nasal cannulas up her nose to make sure that she was getting enough oxygen, since her broken ribs made it particularly hard to breathe. _

_ Balling up my free hand, I felt horribly angry for the person who did this to her. They hurt my Cat…and then burned down her house. What kind of sick man does that? The first chance I get I will find him and make him pay dearly. _

_ I squeezed Cat's fingers gently, expecting a response but getting none. _

_A nurse entered the room without knocking. Rude. I knew this was my cue to leave, but instead I just stood there, holding onto Cat's hand as the nurse busied herself by inserting more clear liquid into the IV bag hanging by the bed. _

_ "You can stay one more minute, Miss, and then you have to leave," she told me._

_ "Yeah, okay," I replied, motionless and staring down at my best friend._

_ The nurse exited, leaving us in silence again. I sniffed, rubbing my arm across my face to get rid of the leaking tears. Slowly, like I was almost embarrassed to do it, I leaned over and kissed Cat softly on her bruised forehead._

_Then I straightened up my body and left._

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"Hey, Jade, can you tell Cat that we hope she gets better soon?" A senior girl and her friends asked me as I walked by them towards my locker, staring at the ground. I looked up when I heard my name and saw they were all looking at me.

"Oh, uh, sure thing."

"Thanks." The group walked away, resuming their quiet chatter.

Coming back to school was pretty hard, but then again, it always was. However, it was heck of a lot worse without Cat. And since the whole freaking school seemed to know what _exactly _happened to her, people kept bugging me to see if she was okay or give me wishes to send to her. _I'm not a freaking fairy, you guys_. Some people would give me these really jerky looks when I walked around, and obviously they thought Cat's stay at the hospital was caused by me. If only I could do it to them.

I came to my scissor-decorated locker and opened it up. Hanging on the back wall was a picture of Cat and me, her arms around my neck, hugging me close. I was scowling at her, but nonetheless, it was an adorable picture of us, and secretly one of my favorites. I blinked furiously, when suddenly someone tapped my shoulder.

"What?" I growled, turning around. It was probably another one of Cat's fans, with a card that read 'Get Well.'

But nope, it was Vega, clutching her books against her chest and wearing a slightly terrified expression.

"What do you want?" I slammed my locker shut even though I didn't get anything out of it. I just hoped that she didn't see the picture. It was a private thing honestly, and not even Beck knew I had it because I always kept it blocked with books and binders.

"It's about Cat," Tori said quietly, looking me straight in the eyes.

"What about her?" I held her gaze.

"Um, I just noticed that you've been really lost without her." _No duh, Vega_. "And I, uh, well, I want to help you." She smiled brightly at me, her teeth flashing in the lights.

My eye twitched. I mean, it actually _twitched_.

"Help me with what? I don't have as many problems as you do, Vega."

"No no," Tori said, shaking her head. "And I do not have any problems!" she added angrily, which I smiled at. "But I meant like, help you find who hurt her and stuff. Because I know you want to do that. I see it in your eyes." _Wow. How much more obvious could it get? Maybe she was stupider than I gave her credit for_.

"Yeah, well, I'll pass okay? I don't need anyone else getting all up in my business."

"Oh come on Jade," she pleaded.

"You know, Tori, I actually read a story once about an annoying little girl who wanted to help out one of her friends with a personal problem. Less than a week later, they both ended up in a hospital, and probably scarred for life. I don't think I want that happening with us." I started to walk away, but Tori hitched up her bag and ran after me.

"But this isn't a personal problem," Vega retorted. "Please. The only reason why I'm asking for your 'permission' is because if Cat were here, she'd want us _both _to help find her attacker." She kept on rambling, but my ears tuned her out, turning to my thoughts instead.

_How well does she think she knows Cat, anyway? Certainly not as well as I do, if that's what it is. But her words do hold some truth, unfortunately. Geez. The things I do for you, Cat_.

"Whatever, Vega. Just leave me alone and we can talk more about what we're going to do later, all right? And don't go around saying anything to anyone. The last thing I is for a hundred kids requesting to join," I almost growled.

Vega nodded, sealing her lips and shoving the imaginary key deep into her pocket. I rolled my eyes and headed towards the Asphalt Café.

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Beck was sitting by himself at a table far from the crowds of people, and he waved for me to come over. I plopped my bag down, swinging my legs over the seat as he pushed a plate of fries from the Grub Truck towards me.

"Why aren't you sitting with the others?" I was curious, not caring.

"I wanted to talk to you about Robbie," he replied in a low voice, glancing over at our usual table, which was pretty far away. Tori was sitting next to André, leaned over and whispering something into his ear which he laughed and smiled at. Across from them was Robbie with Rex, and they were both glaring down at their food.

"What about him?"

"You noticed something's, uh, different, right?"

I nodded, chewing thoughtfully and thinking more about the boy than I had before. After the awkward meeting at the hospital with the Valentines, Robbie starting bringing his forsaken puppet back to school, and the dummy's behavior had increased in sarcasm and obnoxious-ness.

But you couldn't blame him much. The love of his life was no longer here to spend each golden day with him. Not that she had any idea of how much she really meant to him.

"Has he even gone to the hospital to visit her _at all_?" Beck continued to ask.

"Nope."

"Well, he's been leaving school right away, and doesn't get here in the morning until the bell practically starts ringing." He tapped his chin, a serious expression taking over his features. "You don't think…maybe he—"

"No!" I said suddenly, upset at the fact that my boyfriend would even dare imply something as terrible as this. "I've known Robbie for a long time, whether I like him or not, but I know for a fact that he would never hurt Cat."

"Oh really?" Beck questioned. "Because people do the craziest things when they want revenge." I raised my eyebrows, not following what he was trying to tell me. "Remember, Robbie's liked her for a long time, but I really don't think Cat seems to realize that.

"He asked her out to prom, she said no. He has life-size cutouts of her, which she even saw but said nothing about. They hang out together a lot. Robbie even suggested they make out sometime, for god's sake, and she called him gross."

"Are you implying that _Robbie_ did it?" I couldn't believe what he was saying. I may not like Robbie, but this was outrageous.

"No, I'm just saying that it's a little suspicious, isn't it?" Beck was calm as he ran a hand through his insane hair. "But anyway, we'll see about it eventually.

"By the way, Mrs. Valentine came over to my RV and asked if we wanted to help her move the family's things into their new apartment, since Mr. Valentine is unavailable to do it during the day."

_Changing the subject now, eh_? "Is this your lame way of asking me to come and help because you don't want to be the only one?"

He blushed. "Well, I'm just saying. I was going to ask the others if they wanted to help either way. You don't need to be so upset about it. I get that she's your best friend and everything but—"

"Yes. I'll come," I said through clenched teeth. I hated it when he compared me to my friends. It was like I could just be easily replaced by one of them.

"Okay then," he shot back, standing up and grabbing his stuff, throwing it carelessly over his shoulder like he suddenly seemed upset or something. "I'll see you later." He stomped off.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't go after him.

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It was Saturday morning and I arrived at Gladiolus Gardens with Beck, André and Tori. Mrs. Valentine was waiting in the dim, cold lobby for us. I was surprised that the complex was named for such an interesting species of flower when it turned out to be a total dump.

It may have just been the opening foyer, but I certainly would turn back the moment I entered. The walls, which were probably originally white, were now fading into a peeling yellow. Two couches were set up in one corner in the shape of an L, full of holes and stuffing was falling out. The glass coffee table was covered in shiny scratches and heavy dents, very unattractive. I tried not to let my distaste show.

"Hey, kids, thanks so much for coming," Mrs. Valentine greeted warmly, a change from the subdued room decorations. "The moving truck is in the back—management didn't want it in front because it would've blocked the view—so we'll just go there to start unloading. We're on the fifth floor, by the way, in room K-5."

Awkwardly, we followed Cat's mom through a maze of dark halls and twisted passageways before reaching the back door of the complex. We headed through it and were greeted with a blast of polluted air, before revealing to the dingy site.

Next to the gigantic, rotten dumpster which smelled of a hundred years' garbage was the familiar orange-and-white U-Haul van, looking out of place here in the gray scene.

"You guys managed to get back your furniture?" Beck asked as we circled the truck, spotting its pull-up door slammed shut.

_What a stupid question. Good going, Beck_.

"Um, no, we bought new ones," Mrs. Valentine replied, turning red.

She climbed onto the ledge and rapped on the steel ridges; the door snapped up like a pair of window blinds, revealing the dark interior of shelves, tables and chairs scattered around.

Tori and André had the nerve to go in after her, hopping up and disappearing into the obscureness, coming back out with an armload of boxes and things.

I went in next, the unknown driver handing me a piece of a shelf: it was smooth and very long, and I almost tripped myself jumping out of the truck. I didn't even bother waiting for Beck as I entered the smelly building again.

The elevators were in the back, naturally, and Tori and André were waiting there uncomfortably. The ding came and they quickly loaded themselves into the lift. I followed after them; quickly realizing that the part I was carrying was much too long to fit properly. André held the doors open while I tried to stand it vertically, but it was too tall, horizontally wasn't even possible, and diagonally was just a nightmare.

_ Are you fricking kidding me?_

"You'll have to take the stairs, Jade," Tori said sympathetically.

_And you're obviously not going to help me with that_. "Fine," I snapped as they watched me leave and head towards the staircase. It was a laborious climb, and I had to stop at least three times, but I finally made it up. Wandering down the halls like an idiot, I looked around for the room as fast as I could.

_Do it for Cat_, I kept thinking to myself, _Do it for Cat_.

I finally found apartment K-5 and knocked on the door as loudly as possible. Cat's brother, this time with a head of green hair appeared, not saying a word and letting me in.

Kneeling right in the middle of the shaggy carpet was Beck, with other wood scraps, nails, screws and tools surrounding him. His sleeves were pushed up and he was concentrating hard on the creased blueprint in front of him. He looked up when I entered.

"Oh, there you are, Jade. Can you just put that over there and then go into the bathroom and unload the box in the bathroom? Mrs. Valentine didn't trust Tori or André enough to do it, and as you can see, I'm pretty busy over here as it is."

_What is this? I'm not your personal slave_, I thought sourly, but did as I was told.

The bathroom had those weird white hexagon tiles covering the floor, and a plush red bathmat on top of it. There was a big cardboard container sitting on the closed toilet lid, and I went over to it, opening the flaps.

Inside was an assortment of bottles, smaller boxes, pill containers, and other toiletry items. I placed the majority of everything neatly under the sink, arranging them by size and color, but the medicinal items belong in the cabinet, so I stood up and moved towards the mirrored door.

It creaked noisily on its painted hinges, revealing to me its hideous inside. The shelves were crooked, with one of them completely snapped in half. I took out the broken pieces, setting them on the marble sink, and made a note to tell the Valentines.

As I started to place in the items, dust began to swirl around wildly. I coughed, fanning the area in front of my face to get rid of them. But eventually it was too much for me and I had to back out, clawing crazily at the air like a madwoman.

I took a few deep breaths, looking around with watery eyes. Raz, Cat's brother, was sitting on the carpet next to Beck, either helping or hindering him with his work on the whatever-he-was-building.

Tori was struggling to get through the chipped doorframe with a swivel chair, André behind her, his view obscured by the lamp he was carrying and wondering what the hold-up was. Mrs. Valentine danced around them frantically, complaining that the legs of the seat were getting scraped up.

I retreated into the bathroom, wiping my eyes.

_We shouldn't have to be doing this_.

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**All right, so next chapter you actually get to see a conscious Cat. Yay!**

**And yep. I should be studying for finals right now. So I'm gonna go now. Don't want to sound pushy or demanding or rude...but review? For me? And Cade?**


	6. Cat's Family

**Okay...so to celebrate my graduating to the tenth grade I will update. And write some more. And then sleep. :D**

**Enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 5  
Jade's POV

I felt the eyes of my surrounding peers boring into the back of my head as I walked my best friend down the hall. Cat was holding tightly onto my left arm with both hands, leaning slightly against my body, the warmth of her hip pressed into mine. I was carrying her things as well as mine, a new experience that caused me to walk feeling unbalanced.

No one said a word as we headed into Sikowitz's.

Cat was almost panting once we entered the empty, colorful classroom. I knew we weren't allowed to be here unless there was an adult or staff member, but this was a special case, and it's not like Cat could handle waiting out in the hall for another fifteen minutes. I guided her to our usual chairs and we sat down.

"Thanks Jadey," she whispered in my ear once we were settled. Swallowing loudly, I nodded my head.

In only a short while, more people started coming in, although technically they were supposed to wait outside. I could tell that they wanted to talk to Cat, yet no one made a noise as they came in. Finally our teacher showed up—when seventy-five percent of the class was already in here—just as the bell rang.

"Good morning, class," Sikowitz greeted, trudging up to the stage and tossing his shoulder bag by the window. He put his hands together and rubbed them gleefully. "Today we are going to discuss—good Ghandi! It's Cat Valentine!" He reeled back in mock surprise. "Welcome back, friend. The whole class and I have missed you the past few days," he continued in a thoughtful way.

"I missed being here," Cat replied cheekily, beaming up at her favorite teacher.

Sikowitz grinned back at her and winked. "So in that case, to celebrate you coming back, we'll all be taking a pop quiz!" The class groaned, some people even staring at Cat, and he started laughing. "I'm joking. But now that I all have your attention…"

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For the rest of the day I breezed through my classes, for once knowing that my best friend was safe and sound. Cat remained by Tori's or my side at all times, even if it was just a walk to the vending machines or bathroom. She kept looking around fearfully as well, especially when boys walked by us.

At lunch, Robbie came nowhere near us and disappeared completely. Tori bought Cat a salad from the Grub Truck, but she didn't really want to eat much with all of the people that kept walking by either to see how she was doing or just say hi since they hadn't in a long time.

"You okay, Lil' Red?" André asked after watching her throw down her fork for the sixteenth time.

"Sure," she said in a slightly squeaky, higher-than-normal pitch.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tori asked, her brown eyes wide with concern. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to, but it's always good to get those kind of things off your chest."

_You think your so smooth, huh Vega? Stupid_.

The only reason why I was being tolerable of her was because Cat was here. Beck had to go meet up with a teacher because he was missing assignments (which was weird, seeing that it he wasn't even the one that missed school), and despite his being annoying, even now I was in need of his comfort.

"Did you talk to the police yet?" I asked her.

She nodded and told us about it, not even realizing that she was actually explaining what had happened exactly on the actual night.

"Yep. I told them that I was just at home; it was really late at night and I procrastinated doing my homework and stuff so I was trying to get it done, when I heard some pounding on the door leading to the garage. I thought it was going to be my mom and brother, because they went away to the doctors', and she had forgotten the key, but when I came downstairs, there was somebody standing there, dressed completely in black.

"I thought he had the wrong house or something at first, but then he starting running towards me, and after he knocked me over he started to hit me with his hands nonstop. I tried to push him off and run, but he was too fat." She started giggling into her hands, and I actually smiled, knowing that the Cat I loved was still there somewhere. She continued, "But suddenly, he stopped, and I got away, running up the stairs into my bedroom, but he came up and cornered me too. I thought he was going to kill me

"And out of nowhere, he just stopped hitting me and left. I don't know which way he went because the only thing I could think of was that I was alive and he was gone.

"I crawled out into the garage and got into the car, hoping to drive to a hospital or something since the telephone line wasn't working and I didn't want to waste time finding my cell. But then I crashed into Jade, and luckily she helped me out." Cat gave me a sad puppy-dog look and I felt her hand grasping mine firmly underneath the table.

"It's okay," Tori said before I could. "We'll find him soon, Cat. We'll find the man who hurt you before the police do. We all will." I glanced around at my fellow peers. Cat puffed out her bottom lip, her brown eyes shining when she realized the things her friend were willing to do for her. She scooted closer to me and rested her head on my shoulder. I patted the top of her hair gently.

We resumed eating quietly, no one saying anything.

Just then, Beck came out of nowhere, arms flailing stupidly, and he looked flushed and red in the face, like he had just run a marathon.

"What's up, babe?" I asked, and Cat raised her head off of my shoulder.

Beck leaned over and wrenched me out of my seat, dragging me to a more private location. He held me close to his chest, and I could tell that he was shaking as he whispered the words into my ear.

"I just saw Robbie in the bathroom. And he was crying."

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Cat's POV

Living in this new apartment place was kind of weird but exciting like a brand new adventure or something. My room was smaller, but that's because I had to share it with Raz, not that I minded or anything. Now I wouldn't have to be afraid of the monsters in the closet since he was there to protect me.

But I still couldn't do much, since when I started to breathe heavily my chest would hurt really badly. At least it was the weekend though, so I could just hang out here with my family and get accustomed to the new environment until Monday came around.

I was still really sad that our house burned down, especially since it was thought to be caused by the same man who attacked me. When I went to the police station to file my report, they tried to find fingerprints on me, but the man was wearing gloves at the time, so there were none. Our dwelling had been completely incinerated, so there was no chance of gathering evidence there.

All of those factors would make the case harder to solve, but Mr. Vega had come and talked to me, and said he would be one of the leads, and he wouldn't give up until the attacker was properly behind bars.

Mom and Daddy were going to take Raz and me shopping later so we could get some better-looking clothes, seeing as we didn't have any besides the ones on our backs. Daddy actually managed to get off of work for the first time in what seemed forever, so this was obviously going to be a very special day.

"Cat! Raz! Hurry up and get ready; we'll be leaving in two minutes!" I heard my mother calling from the kitchen.

I was shifting through the piles of paper on our shared desk, when I heard my name, looking up. Raz was lying down on his bed across the room, reading a book on his stomach, and his head snapped towards the door.

Quickly, he set his book down and swung his legs over the edge, slipping on a pair of shoes. "Are you ready, Cat?" he asked, walking towards me. I nodded and he held out his arm, which I looped my own in, and he led me out into the family room where we saw Mom putting her coat on.

My brother might be crazy sometimes, but he's getting better, especially with all of the visits to the doctors' and stuff, and you can tell that he really does care about his family.

"All right, your father has been waiting for us in the lobby for a while now, so let's get a move on," Mom said, trying to act gruff and failing miserably. I had to frown to hide my growing smile as we left our apartment to the elevator hall.

"So where exactly are we going to go shopping?" I asked as we got in, bouncing up and down until it started to hurt my ribs.

"Just a few clothing stores downtown," Mom replied. "Maybe get some lunch."

The gates opened and I was out in a flash into the dark lobby. Daddy was standing there by the worn couches, his eyes shining behind thick glasses and his smile seeming to light up the entire room. His thinning hair was combed neatly to one side, and his shirt and pants were nice and pressed. He took Raz's place by my side and led me out into the fresh, open air.

We went over to the mini van parked in the small lot, Raz helping me up into my seat. After we were all buckled in, Daddy got into the driver's chair, rotating the steering wheel until we were on the street curb. Mom flipped on the radio, a burst of happy songs busting out and we all couldn't help ourselves and started dancing.

To any normal child, it probably would've been an extremely embarrassing situation, but I loved every single minute of it. Even Raz was participating, and I knew he wasn't really into the idea of dancing in confined spaces.

The first store we arrived at was a new clothing brand store that had opened up recently. I didn't even know the name of because I was so distracted by the colorful outside, the big windows showing well-dressed mannequins posing like a photo shoot, lights beaming down on them at weird angles to stress different parts.

"I'll take Raz to get lunch," Mom said when she saw the store. I knew she wasn't very fond of shopping in teenage clothing stores. "You two have fun. And don't blow the budget, okay, dear?" She kissed Daddy on the cheek, and he smiled, taking my hand and leading me into the building.

There were a few other people here, but we didn't see any workers as we looked around. I picked up practically anything that appealed to my style: full of bright and happiness, something that was the opposite of what I was feeling on the inside.

Daddy didn't object to any of it and paid for it quietly at the register, taking up the three huge bags and walking out to the parking lot, me trotting after him like a puppy.

"Thank you, Daddy," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"You're welcome, Kitty Cat," he replied, kissing the top of my head before loading the bags into the back of the van.

We waited for a few minutes before Mom and Raz came back, with smoothies for everyone.

"I love you guys," I said as we started driving back to the apartment.

Mom and Daddy just smiled at me.

After we drove back to the apartment, Mom explained that she needed to go back out to shop for groceries, and Daddy said he was going with her. That left Raz and me by ourselves, but I didn't mind, seeing as I was already content for the entire weekend.

I went into the bedroom, plopping onto my bed while Raz stayed out in the family room and kitchen. Daddy had already set the bags on my covers, the clothes still neatly packed inside them, and I wanted to start wearing them as soon as possible.

I reached down and picked up my temporary phone on the thick brown carpet. Since my real one had been destroyed in the fire, I lost all of my contacts, but luckily I had memorized my favorites and inputted those.

I brought it up to my ear, listening to the beeping of the dialing.

"Hello?" the tired voice answered.

"Hi Jade!" I said enthusiastically. "My dad took me shopping and I want you to come over and watch me try on the clothes."

There was a silence on the other line.

"Jadey?" I asked, puzzled.

"Um…" Jade sounded like she was biting her lip and not sure of what to say. "Well, I guess I'm not doing anything right now. Beck's doing community service and didn't bother dragging me along, not that I mind. So all right. Gladiolus Gardens, right? K-5?"

"Yep!" I responded happily, clapping my hands and nearly dropping my phone.

"'Kay. I'll see you soon, Cat."

The click resounded in the earpiece as my best friend hung up. I put the phone by my side and waited patiently for her to arrive.

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**:') Oh my gosh Cat's relationship with her parents is so freaking adorable. Right, right?**


	7. Second Meetings Kill

**Okay, so I know everything seems to be moving along pretty quickly...hopefully not too quick for you seeing as what happens in this chapter is...uh...eventful.**

**Don't hate me. Please.**

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CHAPTER 6  
Jade's POV

I honestly wasn't in the mood to go anywhere for my Saturday, or weekend in general, but since I had finished up my homework early and Dad was just moping around the house (like he did practically every day), I didn't really have anything to do or anyone to hang with.

But then Cat called and she sounded really desperate so I agreed. Oh well, at least I could keep an eye on her and ask her some questions form the past few days, since she obviously didn't want to say a whole lot in front of Tori and André.

I arrived at the dump of her apartment (yeah, that's exactly what I thought of it) and was met in the lobby by a well-dressed man with a fluffy, crazed Afro, his feet up on the main desk, showing off the bottoms of his polished black shoes.

"Wat'chu doing here, young lady?" the man asked in a voice that completely changed my opinion on him. And it wasn't for the better.

"Just going up to visit my friend," I replied, slowly inching towards the elevator room in the corner, my eyes never leaving his narrow, shaven face.

"Well then, you gotta sign in, sweetie," he continued, appearing to be chewing on some sort of gum, his lips smacking loudly against each other. I clenched my fists in frustration as he held out a chipped clipboard, pen dangling off the metal top by a thin yellow string. "It's for the safety purposes of our residents, you know?"

Rolling my eyes, I got a lot closer to the man than I really wanted to. I took the board from his filthy hand and scribbled my first name, apartment number, date and time on the next empty line. I wasn't about to put any more personal info.

"See, darlin'? Don't gimme that look. It wasn't as hard as you think was it?" the man slurred, taking the board back and examining it closely.

"Byee," I mumbled, before he said anything else and practically running towards the elevators.

"Yay! You're here, Jadey!" Cat greeted as she opened the door wide and pulled me in. "I thought you weren't going to come anymore."

"Well I had to meet up with that wretched doorman or yours," I replied, throwing my stuff onto the brown couch like I owned the place. "What was it exactly that you wanted to show me, anyway?"

"Come here!" She grabbed my arm again, pulling me into her bedroom. It seemed to be divided down the middle with a row of colorful sock balls. I could easily tell which half was Raz's because of the darker, more masculine colors and the fact that everything seemed to be just thrown around like he didn't give a care or had no sense of style.

Cat's half was neater, with pink covers that matched the ones she used to have, and giant stuffed animal pillows adorning the bed and floor, making it look like we had entered some sort of taxidermy zoo.

"Look what my dad bought me," she said, reaching over and pulling a set of sparkly clothing out of one of the bags by her bed.

"Oh, that's nice," I said, sitting down on the floor, still looking around. "Where's your brother, again?"

"Um, I think he's in the kitchen, making a sandwich," she said, sitting on the bed, now a few feet taller than me. "Did you know that this room is completely soundproof?" she said suddenly.

I shook my head, staring at her weirdly.

"Yeah. My dad said it was done for the privacy of _some _guests, but I'm not really sure what he meant by—"

"Do you like this place, Cat?" I couldn't stop the question from my lips.

"I guess, but it'll never be the same like the old one," she sniffed, her mood turning gray, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. I uncrossed my legs, standing up and resting next to her, putting my arm around her shoulder.

"It's over, okay Cat? You're alive and safe now, and there are a lot of good people out there looking for you attacker," I told her softly. "Me included."

"You're right," she said, determined and adjusting her posture.

"I always am."

So I sat there on her oddly lumpy bed, Cat disappearing into the closet to try on the clothes and coming back out, modeling like she was in some fashion show. I played along with her just because, and after she finished the last pair of matching clothes; she lay down on the bed right next to me.

"You're such an awesome friend, Jade," she said, looking me straight in the eye.

I smiled back; a genuine, adorable, full-of-meaning one.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Both of our heads snapped up suddenly to the masked figure standing in the doorway of Cat's bedroom.

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Cat grabbed my arm so hard I almost jumped right off of the bed. There was a sinking feeling in my gut as Cat pressed her mouth into my shoulder to muffle her scream.

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god_.

"It's him, it's him!" Cat whispered frantically.

I stood up, all of my fear forgotten as Cat grabbed onto me desperately, her body shaking and shaking. "Get the heck out of here," I snarled, my loose hands becoming tight fists. My phone was not in the room, dangit, and I knew that these rooms were soundproof.

"Raz!" Cat cried hoarsely as the door shut, but the man only laughed with a raspy, throaty voice.

"Oh, that boy I knocked out? Don't worry, dear, he won't be coming to help you kids anytime soon." He shook his head, bringing his gloved hands and rubbing them gleefully.

"How did you find us?" I asked. "And what do you want from us?"

"Us? Oh no, my dear. It's only her I'm looking for," the person said, with each word taking a bold step towards us. Cat had become a quivering mass behind me, and her hand held mine in a death grip.

"You're not going to touch her," I growled.

"Well said words, Miss. Let's see if you can keep them."

And all of a sudden, he sprang towards me, sending me sprawling backwards and knocking Cat over. I fell onto the carpet, blinking to try and clear the blurs in my vision.

Scrambling to my feet, I saw the man picking Cat up by the throat, his arms in a constricting fashion around her tiny body. She wasn't even fighting back, too terrified at what would happen next.

"NO!" I shouted, running forward. But he stuck a hand out before I could get close enough to do any damage, grabbing my face and throwing me to the floor again before he began dragging Cat towards the exit violently. He had his back turned to me for a brief moment, and that was when I took my opportunity.

I got up and leaped onto him, putting my arms around his neck and trying to choke him. He roared angrily, dropping Cat, and as she crawled away, tears sliding down her face.

"Cat, run!" I screamed as the clothed fingers dug into my face, and despite the fabric, I felt the sharp sting of the stabbing nails.

But she was paralyzed in complete fear, sitting on her butt and staring up at us, her eyes glazed with tears.

I was distracted watching her, and the attacker took advantage, grabbing my shoulders and flipping me over his head. My back collided painfully with the ground, and the blow took the breath out of me. Before I could react, my vision suddenly became engulfed with the bottom of a heavy black combat boot.

CRUNCH.

I howled in pain, grasping my broken nose, blood pouring through my fingers and spattering my face as I rolled to one side. Cat had curled up into a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees as the man went back for her.

With watery eyes, I tried to sit up, my face slowly becoming numb. But just then the man ran by me, Cat in his arms, and he sent me spinning away, the crimson liquid spraying onto the carpet and Cat's bed.

The door closed behind the pair, and I could already hear the noises of extreme roughness. Putting one hand in front of the other, I tortuously inched my way to it. I needed to get to the phone.

The kitchen and family room seemed empty as far as I could see. Raz's motionless body was sprawled by the stove, items of food used to make a sandwich scattered across the counter.

The racket was gone, and that worried me only slightly. I dug my fingers into the carpet and shuffled to the couch, skimming the edge of my black purse, trying to find a good hold to drag it down with. But just then, someone grabbed the back of my hair, hauling me upwards.

"What do you think you're doing?" I looked up into the hollow parts of the man's mask, where his eyes would be.

"Le' Ca' go," I mumbled.

"Not a chance, kiddo." He dropped me, slamming my head hard against the ground, his legs pinning me down. Using one hand to hold me so I couldn't wiggle away, he used the other to fumble around by his beltline. _Holy crap, is he going to do what I think he's going to_?

But instead of removing the strip of clothing, his hand appeared with a silver knife, jagged at one end. The blade looked almost greasy with some sort of clear liquid, and some of it dripped off the end onto my shirt.

He brought the weapon back behind his head, and my heart started to race. _I am going to die, I am going to die_. But as he wielded it towards my head, I jerked to the opposite side, and he missed completely. Feeling a new surge of confidence, I struggled underneath him, throwing my palms up against his chance and he backed off.

Rolling onto my stomach, I assessed my surroundings as fast as I could.

But I wasn't fast enough.

There was a loud smacking noise, and I suddenly felt the terrible pain throbbing in the back of my head. I slumped forward, head smashing against the hardwood flooring with a dull thud.

"Nighty night, kid," the man's voice came again.

I could vaguely hear Cat screaming for him to stop, but then the pain shot through my head again, and I could feel the wetness of blood as it seeped through my scalp.

The last thing I remember seeing was the man dragging Cat by the hair back into the bedroom.

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Cat's POV

More tears fell from my eyes as the man roughly brought me back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. The image of Jade lying on the floor, blood trickling out of her nose and mouth scared me half to death. She could drown in it if she didn't get up.

When I realized that this man was the same one who had attacked me those weeks ago, I almost had a heart attack. I tried to warn Jade, and I think she got the message, but now she was just a bloody mess in the kitchen, unable to do anything but fight to stay alive.

The door shut with a loud bang, and I moved towards my bedpost, hugging it for support and staring at the man with terrified eyes.

"You should've been dead the first time," the man snarled, twirling the slick knife in between his fingers teasingly. "So now I'll finish what I started."

"Why, why do you want to kill me?" I cried, more tears welling up in my eyes.

"I can't control the desire," the man slurred, coming closer and closer to me with his weapon. "As a matter of fact, I can't control much. Sorry about that."

And then he lashed out with the knife. I felt the burning pain as it cut across my cheek, and I fell forward, grabbing the hurt spot and shutting my eyes. It started to go numb but then I felt another sick pain right in my stomach. I screamed, thrashing with my arms and legs.

My hand found the top of the attacker's head as I tried to get him to stop. I could feel the hair underneath as I started to yank and pull.

There's no mistaking that soft feeling; something I've felt hundreds of times before.

Just in the shock of knowing that _he_ would hurt me sent me reeling backwards, banging my head on the wooden board used to support the beds. _Why would you do this_? I thought.

The knife was ripped viciously out of my body and I doubled over, gagging and blood dripping from my bottom lip. There was a torrent of tears falling from my eyes in the horrible pain.

I wanted to fight back. I had to fight back.

But I couldn't.

Knowing the person who was doing this just killed me on the inside.

And now he was going to kill me for real.

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**Wow what a great way to start my summer with by writing this. :/ **

**I'm going to try and update as quick as possible, which should be between two-four times a week now that I'm free! (Yay hahaha) So yeah. You'll get to know what happens soon. Especially if you review. :D**


	8. Why are You Glad?

**So much OOCness...I am...so...so...sorry...**

**But anyway, thank you to the wonderful two anon reviewers: anon and Crazypenguinsgoesshopping. Looks like somebody's paying attention. :D**

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CHAPTER 7  
Jade's POV

I opened my eyes just a teeny bit, immediately going blind with the amount of light that came into my pupils. I closed them again, feeling a throbbing ache all over my head.

"Jade?" a voice asked. "Jade, are you awake?"

"Harrgghh," I garbled, trying to answer with a simple 'yes' and now suddenly realizing how stupid I sounded. Forcing myself to open my eyes and ignoring the searing brightness, I saw Beck crouched down by me. Next to him was Tori and André, both of them looking extremely concerned.

"Oh, good; she's finally awake," André sighed, grabbing Tori's hand and they both fell back onto white foldable chairs.

"Hey, baby," Beck whispered in my ear.

"WheramI?" I interrupted, my voice heavily slurred by somewhat distinguishable. Raising my left arm, I touched the bridge of my nose, feeling a strip of tape across it.

"Don't touch it," my boyfriend replied, pushing my arm away from my face. "And we're in a hospital." I looked around slowly, adjusting the whiteness of all the furniture. Sure enough I was.

_How was it that I kept ending up in places like this_?

"And Jade, Mrs. Valentine wants to talk to you—uhm, now actually." Beck straightened to full height and moved back to sit next to André.

I rested my head on the lumpy pillow, listening to the sounds of different footsteps and the creaking of a door opening up. Just then, the face of Mrs. Valentine towered above me, wrinkled with worry and dry with tears, her eyes looking around me eagerly.

"Jade, are you awake? Please tell me you are," Mrs. Valentine said frantically.

_My eyes are open and I can see you, so I think I am_. "Urrgghh…yes," I finally managed to tell her, taking some time. My head and nose were aching.

"Oh, thank God, yes!" Mrs. Valentine's mood switched from desperation to relief so fast it was almost like Cat's bipolar behavior. But then again, they were related so it wasn't much of a surprise. "Jade, I don't mean to sound demanding or anything, but I need you to tell me _exactly _what happened two days ago, okay? Don't leave out any detail, no matter how embarrassing or stupid you might think it is."

_Hold on…I was out for _two days_? And why the heck am I getting questioned again? Whatever happened to 'leave the patient alone until she gets better_?_'_

"The police are here anyway, if you choose not to speak to me, but I'm sure talking to cops gets you a little nervous huh?" Mrs. Valentine wouldn't shut up.

_Good grief woman! I just got knocked upside the head, stayed conscious long enough to see my best friend get dragged away and learn that I was practically drowning in my own blood, got threatened with a knife, and now I've just woken up for the first time in two days! Holy crap, just give me a few minutes to get reorganized, why don't you_?

And then my boyfriend, bless his bloody soul, stepped in for once.

"Hold on, Mrs. Valentine. Give her a few seconds, okay? She did just wake up," Beck tried to reason with her.

"I'm sorry, but this is extremely important. I need to find out who's been hunting down my children, all right?" she practically screeched.

André stood up, a mixture of sympathy and anger in his brown eyes.

"Mrs. Valentine, why don't we go and wait outside for a while, okay? You're not making the situation any better right now," André said firmly, in a tone I had never seen him use before. Mrs. Valentine had no chance to say anything because André grabbed her arm, hauling her out the door. Tori and Beck remained by my side.

"So where's the police? I think I'd rather talk to them," I mused.

"Well, I think they're waiting in the lobby," Tori said. "I can go get them if you want." Then in a lower voice she added, "Jade, things are getting really serious, if you can't already tell. This is the second time something this bad has happened to Cat…and you…and everyone's getting really frustrated."

"Okay, Vega. Just go get those justice-makers and bring 'em here, all right? You can, uh, tell me more about your interesting thoughts later," I replied.

Tori nodded and left quickly. I stared at Beck as he leaned forward and held my hand softly. Looking down at our intertwined, fingers I realized that my knuckles were all bruised and purple. I wondered where that came from.

While Vega was busying herself, I said to Beck, "So where exactly _is _Cat?"

"What?" His face turned bright red under the olive skin, eyes starting to glisten. "Well, she's um—"

The door slammed open, Mrs. Valentine hurrying in, André behind her, looking confused.

"I'm so sorry for my little outburst; I just can't get over the fact that someone out there is harming my children," Mrs. Valentine apologized. Beck, seeing that I was distracted by her sudden presence, leaned away from me, almost like he was scared to get too close.

"Oh, erm, it's all right," I assured her uneasily, still looking strangely at my boyfriend. "I would be like that too if I…had….kids?" The last word came out as a question as I realized how awkward it sounded.

"So would you care to explain your account of the story before the police get in here?" Beck intervened.

"Uhm, sure.

"Two days ago, I had left the apartment with my husband—who by the way is currently at work—to go shopping for an hour or so. When I came back, we found you lying by the couch, bleeding all over the carpet and unconscious. My husband found our son by the stove—which good lord he left on; there could've been another fire and he would've burned down the entire complex—but he was also unconscious." She shivered just thinking of seeing our seemingly lifeless bodies.

"And I went to look around the bedrooms while he called the police…" she stopped, bringing her hand to her throat as it noticeably closed up. In fact, it was almost disgusting seeing the knot appear right in the center.

I exchanged glances with Beck and André.

When Mrs. Valentine started speaking again, her voice was tight and angry. "My little Kitty Cat…" She had to pull out a cloth handkerchief and blew her nose like it was a trumpet. "I-I-I'm s-s-so-sorry," she muttered, trying to hold herself together and failing miserably. "It's j-just t-t-th-a-that—" She burst into tears bigger than before.

I sat there like an idiot watching Cat's mother cry and cry and cry. Even André and Beck looked uncomfortable where they were sitting. We waited patiently for her to calm down; I scratched behind my ear, realizing how much it hurt just to touch any part of my head.

"Was the door locked when you came back?" I wondered, trying to calm the woman down. But for once I was seriously interested. I mean, how else could the man have gotten into the apartment in the first place without being noticed if there was a nosy doorman stalking everyone who came and went and people lived on every floor?

"Y-y-yes," Mrs. Valentine replied, dabbing her eyes, the waterworks slowing down. "I checked it twice. He either picked it and locked it again, or he had a key."

_A key_?

Right then, Tori Vega walked in, her own father and another burly police officer, frowns defining their features even more than usual.

_Great…now there's like seven people in this room…that's mean for like two_…

"Hello, Jade, 'scuse me, ma'am." Mr. Vega said, stepping up to the bedside, almost knocking the boys and Mrs. Valentine out of the way. I looked straight up at his face, contorted into a forced calm expression. His partner stood by the door, beefy arms crossed over his chest. "Care to explain what happened two days ago?"

He said it in a way that made me feel like the enemy. _What the heck_?

But I didn't object, seeing that there were like other six people in the room. I told the story as detailed as I could, without making it sound like I pretty much got schooled by the probably-sixty-years-old attacker. Mr. Vega took relentless notes on his little clipboard, thanking me afterwards and assuring that this time, the case would be taken care of _immediately _(which raised my suspicions even more), and he left the room with the other officer. Mrs. Valentine, who I don't think could handle the tension anymore, had gone with them.

I sat there in the bed, staring at my legs hidden underneath the blanket. Beck was watching me closely, Tori sitting by the door and looking almost bored. André had his head in his hands, his gaze penetrating the floor.

"So hold on you guys never told me what happened to Cat," I remembered, eager to know the fate of my best friend.

Everyone seemed to be awoken from their trances. Tori brushed the hair out of her eyes, her lips tightening together and she pretended like she hadn't heard me say anything. Typical. André rubbed his face and he rolled his eyes like he was trying to get rid of something inside of them.

"Beck?" I looked at my boyfriend, expecting him to say something in the least.

"Hmm?" His face was twitching with dozens of emotions, and he seemed unsure of what exactly to say.

"What happened to Cat? Where is she?"

"Robbie is with her," Vega interrupted, continuing to look at the door.

"Oh really?" So maybe the puppet kid did care about our Cat after all. "And where exactly is that?" I was started to get annoyed by all of them. "Here in the hospital or as a corpse in some funeral home?" _Oops, probably shouldn't have said that_.

"Close," Beck almost snarled, "so close."

"She's uh, well," my friends were all stalling, and none of them would look me in the eye.

I was just about ready to climb out of the dang bed myself and strangle each of them, but Beck put his hands against my shoulders, forcing me to sit back down. "Just frickin' spit it out, already!" I yelled.

"You need to see it for yourself."

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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_You need to see it for yourself._

_ You need to see it for yourself._

Vega's whiny voice echoed in my head for the next three days that I was confined to the hospital bed. I begged and pretty much threw a tantrum at the nurse and my friends when they wouldn't let me see Cat. The only things they told me was that she was alive at the least, but nothing more, like how she was doing and stuff.

Finally, I was allowed to leave my bed (I had recovered from the concussion, and my nose was set back in place and I could talk normally, although I wouldn't be able to take the tape off), but someone had to come with me or I had to use one of those stupid walkers old people sometimes need. Luckily Beck was here visiting (again), so he accompanied me to the room.

"I can hold myself up you know," I snapped for the fifth time as Beck tried to get his arms around my waist.

"Well, the nurse did say that I was supposed to make sure that you didn't fall down or anything," he snickered.

"Does it look like I'm falling?"

He didn't say or do anything for the rest of the long walk to Cat's room. We paused at the door, which seemed to be holding a terrifying presence as we stood their motionlessly. Slowly, Beck reached out a hand and rapped against the solid wood.

I didn't think there would be anyone in the room besides a doctor or nurse, but I was wrong when the door opened slowly, revealing someone besides Cat that I realized I hadn't seen in several days either.

It was Robbie.

His eyes—and I'm not lying when I say this—were completely bright red, the dark pupils nothing more than the tiniest of slits. His nose was considerably purple, almost liked he had spent so much time trying to wipe it that in the process he had bruised it. His cheeks were flustered, glasses hanging untidily from the tips of his ears like they were about to swing off at any moment, the mop of curly brown hair looking flat and unattractive.

"Oh, hi guys," Robbie said in an almost screechy voice.

"Hi, Rob. How long have you been here?" Beck spoke, holding my arm and keeping me from entering the room. _What the heck is his problem? I want to fricking see Cat_!

"Just a little bit. But you guys can go ahead. I think I've been in there too much." Beck looked sadly at the boy, ruffling his untidy mane and gesturing for me to go inside as he came out. "I think you'll want to see her by yourself, so we'll wait out here."

"Whatever you say."

I moved past them, turning around to close the door after I had entered the room. When I looked around, I noticed that the furniture was the exact same as mine, besides the fact that there seemed to be a dozen more beeping, blinking machines surrounding a person lying on the bed, the face hidden under a tangle of bandages.

_ Hold on…that's not Cat_.

I searched on the walls desperately for something that might tell me the true identity of the figure. Maybe a piece of paper with the name and medications required, or get well cards addressed to a certain someone. I walked around the area, finding nothing.

"Jade?"

My head perked up from the underside of a plastic chair. I would recognize that voice anywhere, and knew that it had to have come from the bed. I moved over to it at a snail's pace, trying to see some part of the body that resembled my best friend.

As I got closer, I noticed the ruby hair tucked behind the blanket and pillows, chocolate brown eyes staring up at me anxiously. Something you couldn't mistake for anyone else's.

"Cat?"

A smile spread across the face's lips. I kneeled down, even though it hurt my legs on the cold floor, taking one of her bruised hands into mine.

"Cat?" I repeated. "Is that seriously you?"

"Hewwo, Jade," she said with a slightly muffled voice, her mouth barely moving. "I thod you weren' gonna come to see meh."

"I wasn't allowed to leave my bed for a while," I explained. "How are you feeling? I'm-I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you."

She frowned, her eyes sparkling tearfully. "He ha' a kniv, Jade. I lost coun' of how many times he 'tabbed meh, bud it hurd willy bad. Da doc'to sed id wa' eweven time."Her hand attempted to crush mine, but the only thing I felt was a slight tighten. "He didn' ude a kniv' on you, did 'e, Jade?"

I shook my head.

"Gud," she said, a satisfying smile appearing. "I'm glad 'e didn' hurd you too muck, Jade."

"But look what he did to you. It's all my fault. If I had just gotten up and finished him when I had the chance, none of this would've happened." Of course, part of that was a complete and total lie. Not once did I stand a chance against him, nor did I have a single opportunity to 'finish him off.'

"I doh," she whispered. "But I wouldn' be able to liv' wit myseld if he hurd you."

"Why do you say that?" _Geez, it seemed like she was happy about getting stabbed eleven times_.

More tears welled up in her already swollen eyes. "Becud—well, becud your one of my bes' friends, an' I don' wan' anyting to happ'n ta you. I don' care wha' hap'ns ta meh. I jus' wan' ta make sure you're safe."

_No one's ever said anything like that to me besides Beck_. I thought I was going to start crying. I wanted to tell her the same, that I truly cared about her even my temper often got the better of me a lot, but I couldn't talk with the lump in my throat threatening to explode into tears and sobs.

I leaned over and gently hugged the only part of her that I could. Her head lifted slightly off of the pillow, and she raised one arm to hug me back, seeing as the other was all wrapped up with bloody gauze.

Finally, I sucked up the nerve to say, "You're my best friend too, Cat."

And then I burst into tears.

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**Man, I wish I had a friend like Cat. She seems to find so much good in the worst situations, huh?**

**Well, anyway, review?**


	9. ILLER

**Wow! Another update so soon! You like, yes? :)  
Pay close attention to what happens in this chapter! You might see some of it pop up later!**

**If you're a Harry Potter fan you might catch some of the spell references I make. :)**

**Special thanks to: fansfavorite9, jadebeckcattori, keshafever and sloth13 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

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CHAPTER 8  
Tori's POV

Everybody started acting strange after Cat (and Jade) got violently attacked the second time around. My father was working relentlessly on the case, but there was only so much he could do with so little evidence of the event. After visiting Cat and asking her some questions, the only thing he managed to make out of it was that it was the same person who had hurt her the first time. That was a start, but it didn't really lead anywhere.

I told him that I wanted to help, and so did my friends, but he explained that it was one, his 'job' to solve the case, and two, it was for my own safety that I stay out of it, but I didn't agree.

At school, life was dulled down and boring. Just the fact that a fellow classmate and student were almost killed was enough to make even the most hyper teachers serious for once. Sikowitz stopped being so random, forcing us to focus on actual paperwork; we did less improv and listened to more lectures.

André liked to keep to himself, rarely saying anything and barely ever bringing out his piano or sheet music again. Occasionally, Robbie would join us for lunch, but other than those few times, he stayed out of everyone's way with his puppet.

Beck made it his duty to stay with Jade as much as possible, and that was why she had now resorted to eating lunch in the girls' bathroom just to spend some time away from him.

But sometimes when I went in there to take wazz or fix my makeup, I would catch her crying by the sinks of in one of the stalls. I knew she was sad, as was I and all my friends, but everyone was acting like Cat had died or something (which she didn't).

As a matter of fact, every day at least one of us would visit Cat in the hospital, seeing as she was probably bored all the time and was going to be in there for a while more while she fully healed.

Today it was my turn, and it was going to mark the two week anniversary since she had been brought in to the place. After school, I returned home to get my bag of things (I had bought her a little something to keep her busy) and after that I went straight to the hospital.

"Here to see Cat Valentine, Miss?" the kind old lady at the front desk asked me. I nodded; it was nice to know that I was now recognized here. Of course, that probably wasn't a good thing. "All right, go ahead. She'll be taking her medication in an hour, so you have until then to keep her company." She smiled warmly, her wrinkled cheeks pulling back into a friendly grin. I gave her my thanks and made a beeline up to Cat's room.

"Cat! It's Tori!" I said, knocking. Even though she couldn't get to the door, we learned to at least give her a warning that someone was coming in, because the one time André didn't, she freaked out and almost upturned the entire room throwing anything she could get her hands on at him.

I waited a few seconds and opened it slowly, finding her sitting upright in the bed for the first time. Looking immensely happy in a papery hospital gown covered with pink teddy bears, she waved at me, her eyes lighting up. Although she was still covered in bruises and cuts, she was recovering very quickly.

"Hi, Tori!" she bubbled. Even her voice had returned to normal so soon.

"Hey, Cat. Here, I brought you something." I walked up to her bedside, at the same time reaching into my bag and pulling out a diary, the cover adorning a white kitty cat. The outside was made out of a pink furry felt and there was a strap that held several gel pens.

"Oh! That's so cool, Tori!" she gushed, taking it from my hands and opening it. "I don't know how I'm going to write in it though…since my right arm is all…" She glanced down at her wrapped up arm, sticking out her bottom lip in an adorable pout.

"It's okay. You don't need to do anything with it right away."

"I have another journal at home that I used to write in a lot before I ended up here," Cat said in a small voice. "So I think I'll just continue it in here." My heart leapt as I saw how excited she was.

I sat there with her for the next hour and we talked about all sorts of things that she liked discussing, like why unicorns went 'extinct' and her favorite songs and artists. I promised her that as soon as she was admitted from the hospital, I was going to take her and rest of my friends to Disneyland.

Because it was just about time for the nurse to come in and give Cat her medicine, I was busy packing up when she started coughing violently, almost looking like she was about to throw up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, going up and touching her shoulder.

"Cough—cough—um, I think I'm fine, Tor—cough!" she spluttered, her hand grasping her throat.

"Let me get the nurse now," I assured, pressing the call button on the side of the bed.

"No—no—it's—cough, cough—fine!" she wheezed.

The nurse barged into the room, looking stunned at having been called in a few minutes earlier than necessary. She was obviously about to ask what was wrong and then spotted Cat having a coughing fit, who was now going green in the face, like her system was suddenly being attacked by a fever or flu.

"Cat, what's wrong?" the nurse asked, approaching her slowly.

"Ugh…my stomach really hurts…" she confessed, bending over and holding her abdomen. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. "It feels like something is eating me from the inside."

The nurse's eyes widened and she raced to the door, calling out to anyone that might be walking by.

"Cat?" I asked, kneeling down as she started to gag and cough some more.

"Tor-Tori," she gasped, "I forgot to tell you. Can you…can you remember something for me?"

"Yes, anything."

"Could you w-wr-write it down?"

I looked around frantically for a scrap of paper or something. For a hospital room where there usually always is, there was none. I wrenched out my blue PearPhone and opened up the Notes app, showing it to her. "Is this good enough?"

Cat barely nodded, her sharp gasps becoming more noticeable. The nurse was still out in the hall, frantic to get somebody's attention. "W-w-write…write down the word 'iller.'"

"Iller?" I typed in the word quickly. "Iller as in, miller without the M?"

"Just iller!" Cat almost screamed. "I-L-L-E-R!" She started crying in pain just as a doctor entered the room. He ran up to her side, pushing me out the way and putting his hand over her heart.

"Excuse me Miss, but I think you'll need to leave, please," he told me, taking out his stethoscope. "What's wrong, Cat? Tell me what hurts."

Cat seriously looked out of it. "I-i-it burns," she choked. "Everything b-b-burns…"

"Okay, just lean back and take deep breaths, okay? You're going to be all right." He forced Cat to put her shoulders against the pillows, her breathing becoming erratic and uneven. "Miss, I need you to leave the room!" He looked right at me.

"What's wrong with Cat?" I wanted to know, not following the doctor's orders until I had the answer.

The nurse came over and grabbed me roughly, forcing me to walk towards the door as the doctor pried Cat's arms apart from her body, ripping through her gown and revealing her stomach covered in bloody bandages.

"Let's go, Miss!" the nurse sounded scared as the doctor tried to comfort Cat at the same time while taking a pair of surgical scissors and cutting open the gauze.

I wasn't ready to leave, but then passed out at the sight before us.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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Jade's POV

"Stop blubbering like a baby and frickin' tell us what you saw!" I screamed at Vega, who was cowering the corner of the HA parking lot. Tears were streaming down her face and she was hiccupping like a two-year-old.

Yesterday I had gotten a call from the hospital that Cat's condition was declining dramatically, and nothing else. Seeing as Vega was the one who saw her last, I figured she would have some information on what exactly happened to my best friend.

"Jade! Calm down!" Beck warned. I guess he wasn't approving of my attitude towards her, but besides that, he wasn't really doing anything to fend me off from her. André was just standing there alike, not doing anything to stop me and I knew _for a fact _that he liked Tori as much as he liked me all those months ago.

We all must be so desperate for news on Cat.

I was about to kick Vega's head off at this point because _she wouldn't stop crying_. Pulling my foot back and aiming at her face, I prepared to give her a sharp smack but André tackled me to the ground before I could release it.

"Stop, Jade!"

"Get off of me, you idiot!" I screeched, trying to push him away.

"Why do you have to be such a gank all the time?" André questioned, helping me up but holding on to keep me from getting to Vega. "Give her a few seconds, okay? If you wanted to see what happened to Cat so bad, why didn't you just go yourself?"

"No..no…stop…" Beck's arms came around my chest before I could rip André's head off.

"I WOULD'VE GONE BUT IT WAS FRICKIN' VEGA'S TURN TO!"

"Okay, okay. No need to get so upset." André backed up, looking almost scared. I didn't mean to lose my temper with him. He was a decent guy; it was just that Vega kept wazzing me off right now. "And stop using that F word," he added, "It's kinda creeping me out."

"I could use worse," I glared at him.

"Y-y-you're s-s-so mean s-s-sometimes, J-Jade," Tori said, finally standing up and using André's body for support.

I growled at her like a dog, Beck crushing me in his grip warningly. I hissed, scratching his arms.

"Tori, can you just tell us before she skins me alive?" Beck asked kindly.

"What's the magic word, Jade?" Tori taunted, coming extremely close to my face.

"Imperio."

"No it's not!" she practically pouted, with André rolling his eyes.

"Crucio," I tried again, playing stupid on purpose and wishing that I could really use the spell on her.

Vega actually stamped her foot. And I thought I was the frustrated one here.

"Avada Kedavra," I said. That had been my favorite curse from the _Harry Potter _series, and this was the perfect time to annoy Vega with it, even though I desperately wanted to know what had happened to Cat.

"_Please_," André had the nerve to correct me, anxious for some knowledge.

"All right, all right," Vega snapped, but I could tell that she wasn't fully satisfied. "Well, so I went to visit Cat, and you know, I bought her this really cool journal to write about her life in, but apparently she already had one and stuff, and—"

"Get to the point," I interrupted.

"_Please_," Tori shot back. My top lip pulled back in a snarl. "So then we were just talking for a while, and then my hour was up because she had to take her medicines, but then, she started like having this weird coughing fit, so I called the nurse in early.

"Cat started complaining that her stomach was really hurting so when the actual doctor came into the room he, uh, cut open her gown and the bandages off and that's when I saw…" Vega trailed off, looking very sick.

"What did you see exactly?" André insisted after a pause.

"Her skin was so mutilated it didn't even look possible…" Vega shuddered. "The edges of the cuts were…literally a bright green." She started gagging, bending over and her face turning white.

"Green?" Beck sounded skeptical. "That…can't be possible…unless…" He thought for a moment, "Yeah, that can't be possible."

Something clicked in my mind, an image flashed before me.

I remembered the knife the man attempted (and failed) to use on me. The blade was all greasy-looking, not with blood but a cloudy white liquid. I collapsed in Beck's arms as the realization hit me.

"The knife he used to stab her…" I whispered, everyone looking at me, "was covered in poison."

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**Hmm...I don't know if this story could get any worse...**

**By the way this is all fiction, because I'm pretty sure this story is way too dramatic to be real. :) It's also not based off of any real events in my life, just inspired. :D**

**Review!**


	10. Poison Spreading

**Wow this is a really boring chapter...not gonna lie. BUT some super-duper-mega-important-you-better-remember clues that pop up!**

**So...is anyone else on summer break yet or is it just me?**

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CHAPTER 9  
Jade's POV

I ignored the angry screeches, honks and curses coming from the other drivers as I sped down the street towards the hospital where Cat was located. Tires squealed against the asphalt, the wheel turning sharply, the smell of burnt rubber filling my nose. My hands were shaking as I steered us the route. I should've let Beck drive.

He was here actually, right next to me, sitting shotgun. André had taken Tori in his own car since I couldn't put up with her continuous sobbing after I had told them what I thought was causing Cat's body to turn green.

"Maybe you should just pull over and let me drive," Beck suggested after we almost got hit for running a 'red' light.

"Screw you too!" I shouted out the window, giving the other driver the finger as they blasted their horn at us.

"Yeah, all right, let me have the wheel," Beck said firmly, putting his arms over the middle and trying to take control.

"I can handle it!" I yelled at him, taking an overly large left turn. We were almost to the hospital anyway, and I wanted to beat André and Tori to it.

"You're going to get us killed," he muttered, hunching back down and pulling the seatbelt more firmly across his chest and lap.

We arrived within the next three minutes, no difficulties of any kind. I'm just glad the police weren't out at the moment. There was a small booth at the front of the parking lot and I approached it cautiously. Rolling down the window, I peered out into the darkness and saw the face of an old lady sitting inside reading a magazine. I reached out and rapped on the cold plastic.

Startled, the woman dropped her papers and saw that I was waiting to speak with her.

"How long do you plan on staying?" she asked me.

"I don't know."

"Fine, Miss. Name of patient, please."

"Cat Valentine."

"Miss Valentine is currently busy at the moment," the woman replied, her eyes slowly scanning down the laptop screen in front of her.

"It doesn't matter. I'm here to see her whether she's busy or not," I seethed.

"Watch the attitude, please, Miss," she continued to drawl. "All right, I suppose you can go in, but you'll have to wait a while." She pressed a thick red button by the computer, and the yellow-and-black striped bar rose to let us pass.

"Sheesh, was that too much to ask?" I said as I found us a decent parking spot.

"I still don't know why they have those kind of people asking those kind of question," Beck replied thoughtfully while unbuckling himself. We exited the car, I locked it up, and headed towards the hospital doors.

After we were in, Beck sat down in the lobby while I went up to the front desk.

"Me and my boyfriend are here to see Cat Valentine."

"Oh I'm sorry, but you can't visit Miss Valentine at the moment," the normally kind woman answered. "She's currently in an emergency surgery. But we will admit you to see her doctor once her guardians come and allow you to."

_Surgery? So that's what must've kept her 'busy_._' _

"What do you mean?"

"Sit down," the lady gestured to the empty chairs surrounding coffee tables full of magazines and newspapers. "I can assure you, ma'am, the entire situation is under control."

I gave her a fleeting, desperate look before going over to the plush chairs and sitting down next to Beck.

"When are we allowed to see her?" he asked, reaching over and taking my hand.

"She's in surgery," I spat.

His eyes widened, and he said nothing. He didn't need to.

Tori and André appeared quickly, all of them looking flustered and red in the face. They occupied the chairs next to us.

"Is Cat really in surgery?" Vega asked, almost like she still couldn't believe the dreadful news.

"Yes," I snapped, in no mood to discuss the matter with her.

"I'm just asking," Vega replied, looking like a hurt puppy. I curled my lip and faced Beck. About ten minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Valentine entered, their faces nothing but emotionless masks at this point.

"I cannot believe we are here again," Mrs. Valentine said sourly as her husband went up to the front desk. "Do you kids know what happened this time?"

"She's in surgery," Beck responded.

She stopped cold, her lips shaking. "For what?"

"They wouldn't tell us until you guys came." Beck refused to say anything about my accusations of poison; although I was getting the terrifying feeling that I might have been right.

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"Can I get the family members and friends of Cat Valentine up here please?" A doctor with thick curly hair and a small mustache called up from the front desk. We all stared at each other before getting up and walking towards him. It had been well over an hour since every one of us had arrived and it was about time we were getting some answers, I hoped.

"Follow me. We're going to a private room." Mr. and Mrs. Valentine took the lead, Beck tugging me along, and Tori and André behind us.

The private room we came into was colored a pale green, the lights dim and only focusing on the conference table set up in the middle, its glossy surface gleaming. Chairs similar to the ones in the lobby were set up around it.

"Have a seat," the doctor instructed calmly, taking the seat at the head, leaving us to play musical chairs to get closest to him so we could easily hear what he had to say.

"What's going on?" Mrs. Valentine asked as she took his right-hand side, and her husband took his left.

"You'll find out soon enough," the doctor replied once we were all settled. Everyone was still extremely jittery, even when the doctor turned on some soothing music on the stereo in the corner. I felt like I was in some yoga class, not that I'd ever taken it before.

"My name is Dr. Mike Hinton," he began. We stared at him blankly as he continued. "You might've heard from my nurses and secretaries that your daughter—and friend—has had to receive and emergency surgery, which was finished up several minutes ago, in fact."

"What was it for?" Mr. Valentine interrupted.

Dr. Hinton ignored him, but that was okay seeing as the question was answered within the next few words coming out of his mouth. "I'm sorry we didn't get your permission, but like I said, it was an emergency.

"She began to have a coughing fit, and complaining that her stomach was hurting. I tried to find the cause of it, which ended up leading to this."

From one of his lower white coat pockets he pulled out a folded sheet of thick paper, tossing it onto the table like he was some sort of mob boss with a profile envelope for the newest gang member.

No one made a move to pick it up; instead, Mrs. Valentine asked, "And what did you find happened to my baby?"

"This," Dr. Hinton replied softly, picking up the paper and opening it towards himself, so we couldn't see. "We have identified and labeled it as a sort of highly acidic poison that's never been seen before, almost like someone had just recently invented it." My eyebrows shot up, and I saw my friends jerk upright with attention in their seats. "The poison was beginning to eat away her insides and we had to remove most of the skin around the stab wounds to get it out of her system."

"How did it get in her in the first place?" Mr. Valentine asked worriedly, even though the answer was clearly very obvious.

Dr. Hinton's jet black eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth slid into an uneasy smile. "The poison seems to have been in her body ever since she was stabbed, and is only now turning up to destroy her, which means that it might be too late and have already spread widely. But we assure you, we are running tests and doing everything we can to try and find a cure to stop it."

Mr. Valentine's eyes were sunken into his head, and he looked terrified. Tori was biting her lip so hard blood was dribbling down her chin and André was blinking furiously. I took a glance at my boyfriend, his hands were clenched tightly and his expression full of anger and remorse.

"Currently, Miss Valentine's odds of being, what you'd call 'normal and fully functioning' are quite slim, and we will see about performing skin grafts to help with the healing."

"Are you saying my daughter was injected with some sort of unknown, incurable disease?" Mr. Valentine shouted suddenly.

"I'm sad to say that's the truth sir," Dr. Hinton replied.

"What do you suggest we do? Did you file the report with the police yet?" Mr. Valentine's questions kept coming and coming, and he was standing up, a vein pulsing in his temple.

"Calm down, Randy," Mrs. Valentine shushed, pushing her husband back into his seat.

"Yes, we have, sir. As I heard, one of your fathers is working on the case as we speak." Dr. Hinton eyed me, Tori, André and Beck. Tori raised her hand and nodded, Dr. Hinton looking relieved. "However, back to Cat's condition, if we perform the grafts and she still does not get better, she will be need to be removed immediately and taken to a rehab center that specializes in these 'acid attacks.'"

He stood up, obviously dismissing the case as we sat there, jaws dropped in shock.

"Can we see her?" Mrs. Valentine had tears in her eyes.

"We've put her in a medically induced coma to keep her out of panic," Dr. Hinton replied, looking grave and sad. "You can still visit her, though, but try not to be too alarmed at her new look." Mrs. Valentine gasped, a hand covering her mouth. "Come this way." He walked over to the door and we followed.

One by one, we left the private room, me being the last. After Beck was on his way, I felt Dr. Hinton grab my arm.

"Yes?" I asked, taking a few steps back.

"Your name is Miss Jade West, I believe?" Dr. Hinton asked while shuffling through his many coat pockets. "And you were also hurt the day Cat was attacked?"

"Yes," I said, uncertain of what that was going to mean.

"Did you get a chance to see the knife he used to stab Cat with?"

"Well, he tried to use it on me, too, so I guess it's the same one. It looked like a regular weapon, honestly, except the blade was covered in this cloudy, almost-greasy liquid, I think, if I remember correctly."

"Okay. I've never heard of a poison looking like that, unfortunately," he said, still rummaging around. "But that's not why I needed to talk to you. Listen closely.

"Cat gave me something to give to you. It was after Miss Tori Vega had passed out and was promptly dragged out of the room, leaving your friend with me and me alone. Through all of the pain, she had the strength to retrieve this object and tell me what it was for."

I didn't know whether to be sad or happy about this.

"Aha!" Before I could see what was in his palm, he closed it, hiding it behind his back. "Cat had this hidden underneath the mattress of the bed. I'm going to assume it was given to her by her parents and won't cause any harm to the human race if I give it to you." _What the heck is he talking about_? "Normally, I would have this checked out a little more extensively, but it is not in my possession to do so. I trust that you'll take care of it and use them to its full potential, yes?"

He reached for my right hand dangling by my side, opening it and placing a set of keys in my palm. My fingers naturally closed up on the item, keeping it safe. I had counted three, not recognizing the shapes or having any idea of what they unlocked.

"They may be just keys, but surely they mean something to you," he said with a wink, while gesturing that I should follow after him to Cat's room. "Obviously it must be special if Cat wanted you to have them, of all people."

_ I am special to her_, I wanted to tell him, but kept my mouth shut.

Instead, I pocketed the ring of keys, giving Dr. Hinton a thankful nod and walking by myself down to my best friend's room, promising to figure out the true purpose behind those entities.

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**Imma keep updating because it does take a while for things to unfold (and I am doing absolutely nothing else)...did you like it though? You wanna tell me or what?**


	11. The Deed is Finished

**You saw this coming. Deep down inside. You knew all along that this was coming.**

**Warning: Please refrain from killing the author when you're done reading, but instead, feel free to leave flames or whatever makes you feel better. I'll take it this one time. :/**

**One more thing. The summary will be changing after this chapter, because...well...you'll see...**

**I don't think this chapter should really be dedicated to anyone but I'll give a special thanks anyway to: sloth13. You're really paying attention, huh? ;)**

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CHAPTER 10  
Jade's POV

Today was a school day, some of the worst days of the year in my opinion. Seeing Cat yesterday hadn't made me feel better about anything at all. She had been wrapped up so many times she looked like a mummy, and _of course_ Tori had to break down upon as soon as she laid eyes upon her immobilized body, and that pretty much set everyone else in the room off.

André was the lucky one to break the news to Robbie since he wasn't there with us when we received it ourselves. I heard he had burst into tears and run off with that miserable puppet of his, and although I hoped that's what had happened, that was probably nowhere near to what was the reality.

It was lunch period now, thank the Lord, but I was in no mood for eating. Cat's keys (which I hadn't removed from my clothes since yesterday) weighed heavily and made me feel guilty every time I felt the smooth metal rub up against the thin lining of my pant pockets. I needed to tell someone about them, but I didn't know who.

Beck was the most obvious, but right now, something didn't seem too innocent about him. And besides Cat, I didn't really have any best friends. I mean, I was close to André, but he hung out _way _too much with Tori for my liking.

Speaking of her, as I was looking around for an empty table to sit at, I saw Tori waving me down. Rolling my eyes, I had no other choice but to go over to them. Beck was gone again, but no doubt that he was probably searching for me.

I sat down on the empty bench across from Vega. "So you told Robbie, right André?" I asked, piling my backpack and things right next to me.

"Mhmm," André replied, looking crestfallenly at his pizza.

"And? How did he react?" I persisted, wanting to hear the exact details from him, and not some freshmen's word of mouth.

"Well, what, you don't trust what you hear from other people?" André said, laughing nervously.

"I wanted to hear it from you."

"Oh, well that's cool too." He smiled awkwardly and started picking at his food. "You know, he just kinda stood there for a couple seconds, like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, and then, uh, he just ran. Into the bathroom, with Rex, and then he locked the entire door after himself, not like I was going to go after him anyways."

"Interesting," I said.

Vega had taken out her phone and was playing around with it. She was tapping like a maniac on the screen, and suddenly, her face lit up and she looked at us brightly, like she was remembering something very important.

"Hey, on your visits to Cat did she ever, um, show you anything or tell you anything that she, uh, wanted you to specifically remember or something?" Vega asked quietly, cocking her head.

"No," André said immediately.

I stared at her, unsure of what to answer. There's no way she knew about my little exchange with Dr. Hinton and the keys Cat wanted me to have.

"How about you, Jade?" Tori asked, turning directly towards me.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, which was, at the least, half of the truth.

"Like this," Vega turned the blue PearPhone screen towards us, revealing the Note app being opened up and one word being written on the dark yellow lines.

"'Iller?' "André read, almost skeptically. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"No clue," Vega replied, bringing the phone down and slouching back in her seat in disappointment. "When I visited her yesterday, right when she was having her coughing fit and right before the doctor and nurse came in, she told me to remember this word, and she seemed pretty upset about it, almost."

"Well, it must be important, then," André pondered out loud.

Just then, Beck walked up to the table, sitting down between me and André.

"Sorry, long line at the Grub Truck."

"Uh-huh." I knew without a glance that hardly anyone would be buying food from Festus today since the special was 'frog legs in chicken soup,' apparently a delicacy back in Yerba that no one here in America wanted to eat.

"Vega, you were saying…?" I asked, ignoring the now presence of my boyfriend.

"So yeah. I don't know what 'iller' could possibly stand for, but, like André said, it has to mean something special. It's almost like she's giving us clues or something…" she paused, her chocolate eyes widening. "Clues?"

"Leading us to find out who did it, maybe?"

Nobody said anything. Even Beck, who had just gotten, seemed to have already caught on to what we were talking about.

"Did Cat ever say anything to you guys before that might have something to do with an iller, whatever it is?" André asked in a small voice. We all shook our heads, and he sighed. "It probably stands for something, we just need to figure it out. Like maybe, uh, 'I-look-like-…', hmm, okay, never mind. I got nothing."

I figured that this would be the perfect time to tell them about the object sitting in my pocket. "Well actually, Cat apparently had a little gift for me.

"When Dr. Hinton had dismissed us from that private room, he let you all go ahead, but stopped me, and handed me this." I pulled out the set of keys, holding it by the metal ring and giving it a shake.

"Keys? That seems a lot more important than a word," André commented, snickering at Tori's reaction. "But do you know what they unlock?"

"Does it look like I know?" I replied, pocketing them again. "Dr. Hinton said that before she passed out, she took them out from underneath the mattress and told him to give them to me. I don't know what they could possibly unlock. Cat and I don't have any secret clubhouse or treasure chest that she could hide anything in."

"Well, we have to figure it out eventually," Beck interrupted.

"No duh, Sherlock," I shot back, a little rudely.

"Beck's right, though," André supported his friend, "we have to do something. Tori, you said your dad is working on the case, right?"

"Yeah. He always stays at the station all day, and when he comes home, he just hangs out in his office. It's gotten worse especially with the new problem of the poisoning. Apparently he brought home samples of Cat's infected flesh so he could work on identifying what it might be made out of, to see how dangerous it might be."

"Cool," I couldn't keep the words from escaping my lips.

They all gave me _very_ dirty looks.

"What? I want to keep some of Cat's skin."

Beck patted me harshly on the shoulder. "Not the time for this, okay, babe?" he whispered into my ear. I shrugged him off, getting more and more annoyed by his behavior.

"So is that a good thing?" André asked, obviously referring to Tori's dad.

"Yeah, I guess, but we need to do something too, you guys. Cat's one of our best friends after all, and the only thing we've been doing the past few days has been moping around, constantly driving to the hospital and crying our eyes out," Tori inputted.

"Correction," I said, "You're the one who's been crying your eyes out the most. We just follow your example."

"You know what I mean," Vega seethed. "But seriously. Cat has given two of us something 'special' which means that she wants us to do something."

"Or maybe we should go and talk to her ourselves," André said reasonably. "Maybe she's in a coma that no one knows how long it will last, but it's not like she's dead." He gave an anxious laugh. "She's probably just playing a joke on us to see how paranoid we get."

"Yup," Vega replied uneasily, averting his gaze and staring at me. I looked down, my face turning red.

BRRIINNGG!

That was the bell.

"See you guys later?" Vega said in an ask-y tone, getting up with her trash. André nodded, following after her with his things. I went the opposite direction, Beck following them without another word.

Little did I realize that this was only the beginning of a living nightmare.

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I really hated the fact that everyone at Hollywood Arts was required to play some sort of classical instrument. I had tried to make the experience better by taking up the 'scariest' looking one, but it turned out to be just a wimpy mix of a clarinet and saxophone.

As I was putting together my rented bass clarinet, I felt something sharp tap my shoulder. Turning around and looking up, I saw Mr. Isaacs, the fat, old man of a band teacher standing right above me. His eyes were almost as blue as mine behind those thick glasses that were so tight on his face they left permanent dents in his skin when he took them off.

"Yes, sir?" I asked, straightening up.

"You're wanted in Lane's office," he said in a raspy tone. According to seniors and those who had long graduated, he had lost his voice from yelling at kids for so many years. I believed them one hundred percent.

"Oh. Do I need to bring my stuff?"

"Yeah, you probably should." I started to pack away my instrument. "No—just leave it there. I'll have someone put it away for you. It's very urgent you get down there, apparently."

Hitching up my Gears of War bag, I left the band room, hopped down the two flights of stairs and headed towards Lane's office. My footsteps echoed eerily down the halls, and I tried to think about why I was possibly needed at this time.

I came to the door, my hand reaching for the handle, but I stopped when I heard some scuffling coming from inside.

"Hold on, hold on," that was André's voice, very easy to recognize.

There was more shuffling and thumping like a things were being flipped over.

"NOOOOO!"

"Take him out the back door," that was Lane's voice, "and go outside or something. I'll get a teacher to accompany you guys."

A door banged open and shut, and suddenly, the one in my face was wrenched open. I was startled and took a step back.

"Oh, thank God, there you are Jade. Get in here please." Lane grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me inside. He looked both ways down the hall before shutting the door.

I spun around and found Tori sitting there on the couch; she was staring hard at the floor almost like it was her job. Beck was leaning by the windows, his stance casual but his face betraying him.

"Sit down, Jade," Lane instructed, and I instantly took his fancy basket chair.

"What is this all about?" I asked, leaning back and placing my feet on the rock table in front of me. "Who just left?"

Lane folded his hands together calmly.

"Cat got out of the hospital today," he said slowly. Tori grabbed the nearest pillow and her face behind it. Beck jerked where he was standing, almost like he had just been electrocuted.

"Really?" I looked at his face eagerly, searching for any sign of untruthfulness.

He nodded solemnly.

"Oh well, that's great." I was actually smiling. The only one in the room that was doing so.

Suddenly, there was a loud gasp and Tori lowered the pillow to her reveal her face explode into tears. Beck pounded on the window, it rumbled beneath the weight of his fists.

"Beck!" I said, shocked that he would do that right in front of me. "Are you—"

"Cat got out of the hospital, Jade," Lane repeated, looking right at me.

"Yeah, and that's a good thing, right?" I asked. Without warning, Vega jumped off the couch and ran towards me, flinging her arms around my neck, choking me. "Ack! Vega, watch it. What the hel—"

"I-I-I'm so s-s-sorry, Jade!" she screamed into my ear.

"OW! Vega, stop yelling so loud, it's—" She crushed me so hard my windpipe was completely cut off.

Lane hurried forward and got Vega off of me. Color returned to my face, and I noticed that Beck had his back against the window, sliding down slowly, his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Through the sobs viciously racking Tori's body and Lane trying to restrain her, he said in a voice that would pound in my brain for all eternity:

"Cat got out of the hospital, Jade…because she died."

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**No tricks, you guys. Cat really died. She's not going to come back, because people don't usually do that in real life. D: But don't worry. This story is FAR from over. As a matter of fact, it's just beginning. }:) Hopefully you caught all the little clues I gave you.**

**Um...review? After you're done cussing me out and stuff? **


	12. Truly Gone

**Okay, I'm going to be honest. This is the first chapter I've ever written that I -legit- had to stop writing in the middle because I was crying too much. No lie. So I suggest you get next to some tissues before you read this. Yeah. It's pretty sad.**

**One more thing: this is the MOST OOC CHAPTER I'VE EVER WRITTEN so just bear with me. Only this once, I promise.**

**Special thanks to: Blondielov2U. They are the reason you guys are getting an early update! :)**

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CHAPTER 11  
Jade's POV

I reeled away from Lane like he was a gigantic, stinging wasp.

"What? No! You're lying! Stop lying to me!" I screamed, standing up. Tori had fallen to her knees, sobbing like a baby, but I ignored her. Beck had disappeared completely behind Lane's desk, and that whole side of the room seemed to be trembling with his cries.

"I'm, I'm terribly sorry," Lane put his hand on my shoulder and I shook him off instantly. My body was wavering with the effect of the news. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. There were no tears to come out.

"She can't be dead, not this fast!" I argued.

"The poison was caught too late, Jade," Lane attempted to comfort me. I pushed him away, staggering towards the back door that I had heard André leaving earlier. I was finding it hard to breathe; my heart felt like it was being pumped full of lead, each word coming out of his mouth another shot to my chest.

Gagging on my own anger and fury, I pushed the exit open, running out into the hall. I didn't even look back to see if anyone was chasing after me.

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The pain was building, and I couldn't handle it. It was like an elephant was slowly sitting its fat butt on me, crushing my lungs and breaking all of my bones.

I had no idea which way I was going. Thinking that I was going to collapse and die with all of the depression flooding my mind, I took random turns, like I was fighting for my life in a trap-filled maze. That reminded me that Cat had been fighting for her life.

And she had lost.

Screaming like a madwoman, I slammed my fists on the closest lockers, the decorations popping off and cutting my hands, dropping to the floor with dull thuds. I didn't even feel the pain as I continued to run blindly. It barely held its own against the ripping feeling in my gut.

I slipped down the slick halls, finding another door at the end. I pushed it out, finding myself at a back stairwell—two stories above the ground—that I've never seen before. I sat down on the first concrete step, burying my head in my hands.

"C-C-C-Cat," I sobbed, heaving and heaving, no tears coming out. The pain was unbearable now, surpassing a peak I didn't even know existed. I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest, and throw off the stairs, down two stories and watch it get run over by a semi truck.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" I screamed, pulling at my hair. No amount of noise I could create seemed to lighten up burden pressing on my body like a ton of bricks.

I reached into my pocket, pulling out the set of keys that had belonged to Cat. I threw them down the steps without a second thought, each thump of concrete on metal setting off mines in my head. They dropped to a stop at the next platform.

"H-H-Help m-m-e-e-me," I whispered to no one, wrenching at the dyed strands on my head as hard as I could. My voice had risen to a pitch I'd never thought I'd be able to accomplish. It was higher than Cat's, even.

Cat.

Cat.

Cat.

_Why did you have to die? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIE_?

And then all of a sudden, the tears began to pour from my face, like the waterworks switch had been activated. I couldn't control myself, my heart exploding in the pain. I screamed and screamed, wanting somebody to hear me, wanting somebody to kill me.

_You never got to tell her how much you loved her_. _You never did_.

"Noooo!" I sobbed even harder, grabbing Beck's necklace that I always wore around my neck and ripping it off, the little bolt at the end flying off the stairs, disappearing completely on the ground below, leaving me holding the black thread, which I tossed away without a care.

_Cat, Cat, please come back. I need to let you know how much you meant to me_.

_She's gone. You missed your chance. Just like with what happened to Mom_.

_DON'T SAY THAT TO ME_!

I stood up, falling back over with the pain pulsing through my abdomen. I was choking, gasping, wanting it all to stop. The thoughts of me never getting to reveal my true feelings for my best friend were too much for me to bear. One by one, I yanked off all of the bracelets on my wrists unceremoniously, watching the beads trickle off the torn strings, scattering around my feet.

Even the friendship one I had made with Cat.

It didn't mean anything to me anymore. She was gone. She had left me with absolutely nothing. Not even a good-bye.

"ARGAFFFF!" The noise that came out of my mouth was incomprehensible. I pressed my sleeved hands to my mouth, trying to stop them from pushing their way out. It wasn't working. Over and over I made the sounds of a dying animal, a creature experiencing the worst torture in the world.

The torture of losing someone close to them.

I shut my eyes, grabbing my temples and applying pressure roughly. _Just get her out of your head. You got this, Jade. Stop being such a baby_.

But this was worse than the time when Mom died. I had actually met the man who did this to Cat. I felt his filthy hands on my face, on my body. I could've done something about it, I could've killed him myself, and none of this would've happened, yet I failed and now my best friend was dead because of it. Because of me.

"I HAATTEEE YYOOOUU!" I cried to the unknown. I sat down again, tears pouring out of my eyes, hugging my knees to my chest and wallowing around like somebody who had lost the most important person in their life.

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"Jade, please stop. You're going to be okay."

I had been crying so hard for who knows how long that I couldn't even open my eyes anymore. They were nothing but swollen slits, my nose raw from rubbing it to keep the snot from coming out. My lips were cracked and dry; I swiped my tongue over it, tasting the saltiness of blood and tears.

Someone had their strong arms around my heaving chest, and I could smell him.

"B-B-Beck?"

"Shh…stop, it's okay, all right?" His words were meaningless. I fought against him, feeling guilty that I had broken the necklace he had given me on our two-year anniversary together.

"S-S-She's g-g-gone, I-I-I n-n-e-ne-never h-h-had a c-ch-chance," I gurgled, my throat burning and raw with all the screaming I had done earlier.

"I know. It's okay to cry, all right? Don't feel bad."

"I n-n-n n-n-ever g-g-got t-to s-s-say good-b-b-bye," I gasped between hiccups, grabbing my heart. His arms shifted around me, holding me closer to his warm body.

"None of us did." _How the heck was he talking so calmly when one of our best, closest, most adorable friends had just died_?

"Y-Y-Y-You d-d-on't u-u-under-understand," I chattered.

"You're right. I probably don't."

I had to stop talking because I was afraid that I was going to bite off my own tongue. I had already gnashed the skin inside my mouth so violently it was full of blood, most of it seeping out and coating my lips. But I ignored the pain. The only thing I could focus on was the boiling, searing pain bubbling in my chest.

It felt like I was a pot of water hanging over a fire. Someone had left me there too long, and now I was overflowing, the hot liquid searing my body, creating scars that would last forever.

I wanted to die. I didn't want to suffer in the pain any more. Self-abuse wouldn't solve the problem, I was sure of it. Besides that, nobody realized that I was actually afraid of using knives and scissors for _any_ reason, let alone hurting myself, but I kept that covered up by pretending to love and having the weapons around me all the time.

My wrists and fingers stung where I had twisted and slashed off all of my jewelry. Expensive rings (some that had been given to me by trusted friends and even my mom) were now lying somewhere on the pavement below, my assortment of handmade bracelets taken off like I was an animal, littering the area around me.

Beck must've noticed because I felt his cold fingers touching the nape of my neck, normally where his necklace would be. I couldn't care less that he seemed so shocked and hurt that I'd thrown it away. I was in enough mood to destroy my entire bedroom and house if I were at those locations.

All of my makeup was streaming down my face, making me look like a monster. I had seen my reflection on the shiny silver railings. I was a demented, uncontainable beast.

All because of Cat.

All because of him.

The man who had done this to her. To us. I was going to find him and murder him, and make sure that he felt what me and my friends were all feeling right now.

Images of the last few weeks of Cat's life flashed before my eyes.

Seeing her lying helplessly on the waterlogged asphalt, crying and screaming for someone to save her, saying that an evil man had broke into her home and done this to her. Me, feeling so lost and guilty, trying to protect her from something that was long gone and had already left its lasting damage.

Her house…lighting on fire in the darkness…the colors showing nothing but hatred and rage.

Watching Cat fight in the hospital for the first time. I felt so useless and weak, the only things I was able to contribute were telling her words and things she couldn't hear or understand.

Bringing her back to Hollywood Arts, feeling all eyes on us as she limped down the halls to her classes and whatnot. I could only do so much for her, but luckily her wildly contagious spirits kept most people happy.

Arriving at her new apartment because her house had burned down at the hands of the same man who had brought her such physical pain, keeping watch over her as she twirled around in new clothes, sitting and laughing with me.

Before he broke in.

Trying to protect her and failing miserably, the last scrap of my energy used to witness her being dragged away, not knowing what hideous things were going to happen to her.

The second round in the hospital. Her explaining that she was happy this happened. That she was so relieved that I had been hardly injured and she had been stabbed eleven times with a poisonous knife and was unknowingly dying.

My heart seized as I struggled to get through the rest of the memories.

She was too weak to ever see me while conscious again, being forced to giving her prized keys to the doctor, hoping that he'd be able to get them to me on time. The last visit to the hospital, receiving the dreadful report of her latest condition.

And now this.

She was gone forever.

Never coming back.

My best friend.

The more I thought about it, the more it hurt. But I couldn't help myself. What else was there to think about? My mom, the first most dearest woman in my life, was dead, and now so was my best friend.

How could I find happiness in life now?

My dad ignored me like a selfish jerk, too torn by his wife's passing to pay attention to his only daughter that wanted his love and affections again. My boyfriend, who was on the verge of annoying nowadays, could only fill on so much of the gap the deceased had left behind.

I wasn't feeling so dejected now. I was feeling angry.

One person had destroyed my future with my mother, and another had killed the friendship I would now never experience with my best friend.

I was going to murder whoever did this to her. To the both of them, eventually. I was going to make him wish he had never laid a hand on my Cat Valentine.

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**Anyone notice the summary changed? I couldn't put that Cat died right away because...that would give away like ten chapters of the story. But now I can since it's published. :)**

**So yeah. After this, the mystery REALLY BEGINS.**


	13. The Funeral

**Mwahahahah, you like the new cover? Took me an hour to customize!**

**So anyway...here's the funeral scene. I guess it's still a little OOC, but then again, this entire story so far seems to be... }:( Enjoy and pay attention!**

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CHAPTER 12  
Jade's POV

The cold wind brushed my face, sending my newly-highlighted hair sprawling backwards against my shoulders. Beck's hand was tight around mine, and he had kept looking at me during the ceremony, but I continued staring forward, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Cat Hannah Valentine was truly loved by her friends, and it is a terrible shame that her life was ended much too early. There were many things she excelled in, such as acting, singing, and just being a friendly person to talk to when you needed it," the hired director stated in a remorseful tone, glancing around the big audience before him.

Tori, sitting on my right, was holding a white handkerchief to her mouth, for the first time able to stop the torrent of tears threatening to come out. Or maybe that was because she had nothing left to cry out, seeing as it had been three long weeks since Cat's death had first been announced to us.

When I had gone home on that dreadful day, Dad, for the first time, in a _long time_ actually came upstairs and sat with me for a while. He didn't say a single word, but just his presence made me feel better. I felt like he might still really care about me after all, and it reminded me of when I was little and we used to do everything together.

This funeral had been an extremely emotional event so far, but at least it was almost over. The last thing they had to do was place her casket in the newly dug hole. One of Cat's grandpas had come in earlier and played the funeral song on his trumpet, and her family members had been the ones to carry in her coffin and lie it on the moist grass of the evening. I wish I had people in my life willing to do that to me if I were to die.

Apparently, the reason why the funeral was being held so late was because the Valentines had allowed the police to take samples from Cat's lifeless body to try and figure out exactly what chemicals and materials were inside the poison that ultimately attributed to her death.

"She will be missed dearly by her parents, friends and family," the director concluded finally. "Rest in peace, Miss Cat Hannah Valentine."

A mini-crane took a hold of the ropes on the casket, picking it off the ground and lowering it gently into the long, rectangular, abyss. Someone went in to cut off the ropes and the hook came back out, the air still as silent as ever. The trucks and tools placed fresh dirt on her grave and then were packed up immediately, and after they were gone we were allowed to go up to her headstone and lay down a flower or say a few words.

Vega and André both had white roses, and so did Beck. Robbie was in the back, and I think he had a red rose. I had gathered the pieces of one of the old bracelets we made together (after retrieving the scraps from my violent ordeal on the staircase) and they were resting in my closed hand.

One by one, we walked up to the grave, setting down our items and murmuring some words of remembrance.

When it was my turn, I stepped up to the beautiful marble stone, not even crying any more. I had given up on that weeks ago. I set the ruined strings on top of the growing pile of flowers.

"You were and still are my best friend, Cat. I miss you like there's no tomorrow, and if you're paying any attention to me, I just wanted to know that I love you. I always have and always will."

Keeping my head high, I trudged away from her grave over to my friends. Tori had a watery smile lighting up her features, André had his arm around her waist, holding her close to his body like a couple would. Beck grinned at me, taking my hand and planting a kiss on the side of my face.

"She really is gone then, huh?" André whispered quietly. Tori sighed and leaned against him.

"Um, I need to use the bathroom," I interrupted, pushing away from Beck.

"Have fun!" they called. I rolled my eyes and looked around for the small stone hut that would signalize the bathrooms. This may have been a cemetery, but it was certainly a much nicer one than some I've seen on TV.

Stomping through the wet grass, raising my knees high to avoid getting my black dress dirty, I felt like a complete idiot. But as I neared the restrooms, I saw a man standing by the stone, his back turned to me.

I slowed my pace, quieting down as I tried to recognize the figure. But then I realized that it was my dad, so I bounded over to him.

"What are you doing over here, Dad?" I asked, tapping on his shoulder.

"What? Oh, hi Jade." He spun around, revealing the white stick of a cigarette clenched between his teeth and the portable orange lighter in his hands. "I'm just, uh, taking a smoke."

"That's really bad for your health," I said, not moving.

He didn't say anything but proceeded to light the end of the cigarette, inhaling a huge breath of smoke and exhaling it into the misty air.

There was a noise of heavy footsteps; I turned around and saw Mr. and Mrs. Valentine, arms linked, walking towards us.

My dad stiffened by my side as they got closer.

Mr. Valentine was looking at the ground the entire time, his wife muttering words into his ear, but he didn't look like he was paying much attention.

"Mr. and Mrs. Valentine!" my dad called, taking the foul piece of rolled paper out of his mouth and giving them a friendly wave.

Mr. Valentine glanced up, immediately spotting the cigarette in my dad's hands, the orange end flickering as it took in more and more oxygen. He stopped, his face draining of color and his eyes switching back and forth from the object to my dad's face.

"Um, Dad…" I said, noticing the odd behavior.

Without warning, Mr. Valentine charged towards my father, Mrs. Valentine running and tripping behind him, screaming for him to stop.

"What the—" my dad managed to get out before Mr. Valentine had knocked him flat to the ground, trying to get his hands on my dad's stick of tobacco.

Instinctively I grabbed Mr. Valentine's shoulder, trying to throw him off of my father. Mrs. Valentine came over, and with her help, I succeeded, Mr. Valentine now surprisingly being fully restrained by his wife.

"I—I am—I am so sorry!" Mrs. Valentine panted. Mr. Valentine was struggling fiercely, his eyes never wavering from the cigarette my dad was still holding. _What an idiot. He gets tackled by another full-grown man, and he still doesn't let go of that stupid thing_. "Randy, stop!"

She smacked Mr. Valentine sharply on the head.

"Once again, I apologize, it's just that my husband has a big issue with fire, due to, uh, some really bad childhood experiences and the fact that our house was recently burned down because of it. Randy!" she explained, tapping her husband on the head and turning him around as my dad sheepishly hid the cigarette behind his back. "Thanks for coming to the funeral, and uh, hope to see you soon, Jade!" She hauled her struggling husband back to where the ceremony had taken place.

"I told you cigarettes were a bad idea," I reprimanded my dad.

He didn't say anything, grinding out the butt on the palm of his hand before throwing it in a trash can. This is what I meant about him never caring about me anymore. Whenever I said (or even asked him anything) rarely would he respond, and I felt so ignored around him.

I went to say good-bye to my friends before going back home, feeling an empty hole in my chest, not only for the loss of Cat but also from years of my dad's neglect.

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I twirled the keychain picture of me and my mom in my fingers while I sat with the TV blaring loudly. I had changed out of my soggy dress into a T-shirt and sweatpants and was sitting comfortably on the couch downstairs in the living room.

Dad had gone back to work after the funeral. I still have no idea why he even attended, seeing as whenever I had friends over, the only thing he did was stay out of our way. I usually didn't mind, but when I look back, it seemed really pathetic. But I guess, even as he was locked away in his office or something, he must've enjoyed Cat's company as much as almost everyone else did, so that's why he went.

Picking up the remote, I started flipping through the channels. Animal Planet, TLC, HGTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon. There was a show called _Victorious _that a lot of people said I looked like one of the main characters in. I didn't see the resemblance. Sure, the girl _sort of _acted like me, but come on. She had some of the lamest comebacks and evil schemes I'd ever seen. I could do ten times better in my sleep.

I finally stopped at a news channel, even though I never watched the news especially since that was something my dad did a lot on the day that we learned my mom had died. I figured that I had nothing to lose at this point, because the two greatest women in my life were gone.

I sat there, staring into space, when all of a sudden, I heard something that perked my interest.

"Cat Valentine, a sixteen-year-old girl who passed away several weeks, had her funeral held today in a local cemetery. Cat was a junior and had attended Hollywood Arts, and was loved by many of the students, teachers, and faculty there.

"Three weeks ago, she succumbed to her injuries received during a brutal encounter with a masked, armed stranger at her new apartment. The stranger is described to be of medium height and build, with a low raspy voice.

"If anyone has news of any of this, please contact the Valentines immediately. They are desperate to find the man who killed their daughter."

I didn't realize that I was still gaping at the TV until the commercial break came on. Now they were advertising Cat's death and reward for finding the man _who I met _and did this to her. I slammed the remote and it shut off. I couldn't handle this anymore.

Clomping upstairs to my bedroom, I threw myself onto the bed. Hiding my face in the pillows, I tried to muffle my sobs, but it didn't work very well.

Suddenly, I heard my phone ringing. Drying my tears hastily, I jumped up, practically overturning my entire bedroom trying to find my PearPhone. Finally I found it on top of my dresser, and according to the caller ID, Tori Vega was calling.

"What?" I snapped, my voice all husky from crying.

"Um, hi, Jade. Are you busy right now?" Tori said in a small voice.

"Why?"

"My dad wants to see you. And the rest of the gang too, actually." _Oh what? So now we were all a 'gang?' Me, Beck, __André__, her, formerly Cat and maybe Robbie? Very interesting choice of words, Vega. Very interesting_.

"What for?" I kept the questions coming. "Has he finally decided to put proper attention towards Cat's case?"

"That's what he's been doing for like the past month, you gank," Tori replied testily. "And yeah. He wants to interview all you guys."

"Fine. Your house? Because I'm not going down to some god-awful police station."

"Yes. Just hurry." Tori hung up.

I sat down on my bed. _Should I go? Sure Vega's pretty much implying that it's mandatory, but for God's sake, I'm frickin' Jade West! People can't tell me what I need and don't need to do_!

I glanced at my purse sitting by the door. Cat's keys (which I had gotten back after throwing them down the back stairs of HA) were sitting right next to them. Sighing, I got up, retrieved both items, and headed to the garage for my car.

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**Okay, so now that Cat is dead, it's just the gang. What exactly are they going to do to avenge her death?**

**Review! :)**


	14. Interrogations

**So...chapter 13...here we go. :)**

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CHAPTER 13  
Tori's POV

André was wringing his hands nervously as he sat on one of my red couches. Apparently, the word 'interview' was really freaking him out. My dad was in his office, getting prepared for the interrogations. I had just finished calling up Beck, Jade, and Robbie, who all promised to be here as soon as possible.

"Hey, Tori, why don't we get you done first while your other friends get here?" my dad called from doorway of his workplace.

"Huh?" My head snapped up, and André's face drained of color. "Oh, um, all right. André, you can just let everyone in when they come along." Picking up my blue phone, I followed my father down into his private room.

I had only been in here a couple of times, since he usually kept the door locked for 'confidential purposes,' but even I could tell that he had re-arranged the furniture so that there was one short desk set up in the middle with one chair on either side. I took the seat closest to the door.

"All right, Tori. I know you're my daughter, but I'm going to treat you like I'd treat any other person I'm questioning, all right? So no pressure," my dad said calmly, and I knew that he was recording this entire conversation. I'm pretty sure that that was a camera in the corner ceiling of the room. "Unless you're the culprit, of course, then I think we'll need to have a separate discussion about that."

"I didn't do it," I squeaked immediately.

"Okay, well, do you have any idea of who might've?"

"No," I said stubbornly, refusing to give away the ideas of Robbie. "But Cat did give me something…before she died. It's a word she told me to remember, but as of now I'm not sure if it has any importance."

"Well, the victim did give it to you while they were alive and no one else was there when it happened, correct?"

I nodded.

"So what is this word she wanted you to remember?"

"Iller," I said, taking my PearPhone out and showing him as proof, even though I could've just made it up seeing as there was no real evidence that Cat had been the one to give it to me.

"Iller, hmm?" he repeated, taking out his own phone and snapping a picture of the document. "And you say you don't know what it means? Nothing, such as a time in your life when you two were hanging out and you made up a secret code or something?"

"Nope." _Geez, Dad. High schoolers don't spend time making up their own language to communicate with, although Cat would've probably enjoyed that if we ever did_.

"Okay, well this is a good start. Anything else?"

"No."

"That's fine, then. Go and get, André, will you? And tell him that he has nothing to freak out about." I laughed insincerely and made my way out of the office, feeling like a ton of elephants had been lifted off of my chest.

I found André, Beck, Jade and Robbie in the living room, each of them a noticeable distance away from the next.

"André, my dad wants to talk to you," I told my best friend.

"What, oh geez, all right," André replied tensely, picking himself up and slowly moving towards my dad's room.

"Don't worry, he's not going to hurt you or anything."

"Ha ha."

I flopped down on the couch, realizing that all eyes were on me. "Geez, you guys need to relax. My dad it's just going to ask you a few questions, and you don't even have to answer if you don't want to, although it is preferred you say something. Just chill, okay?"

Robbie sat down like a robot on the opposite couch. I noticed that Beck was eyeing him with an evil gleam flickering behind his dark pupils, and Jade had her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

I sighed, feeling the tension and wishing it would just all go away.

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Mr. Vega's POV

"Thanks, André, see, it wasn't so hard, right?" I asked Tori's well-respected friend. He nodded, actually smiling.

"No it wasn't," he admitted. "Thanks again, sir!" he said, heading towards the door.

"Anytime, sonny. And please send Jade if she's here."

He nodded, giving me a funny salute before backing out altogether. I leaned back in my leather chair, locking my hands behind my neck. The information I had gathered so far didn't really point to anyone much, and I was also still waiting for the results of the poisonous substance from the lab to see what really had killed Cat.

Just then, Jade's dark-haired head popped out of the doorway.

"Come in, come in!" I gestured to the empty seat where the previous kids had been seated. "How are you doing today, Jade?"

"Well, I'm here," she said in a remorseful tone.

"It won't be too bad, I promise," I assured, picking up my pen and notepad again. "So is there anything you want the police to know about Cat's death? Such as how you feel about what happened, or did she give you any tokens of remembrance or something?"

Jade's eyebrows furrowed, and her expression was slightly confused. I could tell that she was obviously thinking, like she did have an answer but was debating on whether to tell it to me or not. I shuffled in my chair, as to not make her feel uncomfortable.

"Um, no, she didn't give me anything. Which is a shame seeing as I thought I was her best friend," Jade replied finally. I saw her hand flicker towards her left hip pocket once, and I tried to get her to say something else.

"Nothing at all? It doesn't have to be random. For instance, did she give you a prized piece of jewelry, maybe even some money?" I insisted.

"Nope." Her eyes were wandering back and forth.

She was lying.

"Jade," I said softly, "I understand that talking about this is probably extremely difficult for you, but I'm here to help, okay? Any piece of possible evidence or just something in general that you are withholding is doing nothing to help in the case."

"She didn't give me anything." Her voice was full of guilt.

"I thought you said you were an actress," I said reasonably, twirling the pen in my fingers, changing the subject.

"I am. That's why I go to HA."

"Well, it's pretty obvious that you're hiding something," I said, cocking my head to the side, a habit that even my daughters had picked up. Jade's eyes widened, and I noticed that she was playing with her tongue, unsure of what to say. "Jade, I can bet that you didn't do anything wrong to Cat, to harm her at least."

"Nothing can hurt Cat anymore," Jade seethed. "She's dead."

"That's very true," I said coolly. "So the only person you're hurting now is yourself."

Jade was silent, her ice-blue gaze penetrating mine. "I'm not guilty of anything."

"That's what you want us to believe. By hiding what you are, you're just making things worse for yourself. You're making yourself look suspicious, whether you really are or not." Her lips were trembling, trying to form a comeback of some sort. "You can go now. I'll speak again with you sometime later. Go and get Mr. Beck for me, okay?"

Jade stood up, looking like she wanted to throw something at me, but thought better of it and stormed out without another sound. Beck appeared almost instantly, his smile sliding off of his face when he saw me sitting there.

"Hello sir," he greeted with a sort of warmth that no one else had as he sat down.

"Hello, Beck, how are you doing today?" I asked.

"Fine. For the most part," he answered. "Just, a few things have been on my mind that I've never told anyone."

"Really? Such as?" Regardless if they had anything to do with the case I was working on, being a police officer, you listened to people no matter who they were or what they had to say.

"Have you, uh, interviewed Robbie yet?" he asked in a low voice, turning around to check if the door was closed or not.

"No sir."

"Well, I'm kind of getting worried about him. He's been acting very weird ever since Cat was attacked. The first time, mind you. It's almost like…no, I don't want to make any false accusations." Beck stopped, biting his lip.

"Go on. I won't judge you on anything you say." _At least, not verbally_.

Beck leaned forward. "Well, Mr. Vega, it almost seems like he's _guilty _of what happened to Cat. I mean, he never talked to her after it happened, and it was pretty obvious for the longest of times that he had a huge crush on her." I nodded, and he continued. "I mean, I know that we're all quite shaken up on what had happened to her, but…he was just…I dunno, not acting the way most people thought he would."

"Well, Mr. Shapiro has a very interesting personality," I responded. "I've seen the things he is and isn't capable of, Mr. Beck, but I don't think murder is one of them."

"I know, it's just that I thought it was kind of odd," Beck added quickly. "I mean you can ask my friends. They'll tell you everything, how he always hid in the bathroom, started bringing Rex back to school—"

"Oh no, I don't believe you're lying," I interrupted. Beck's eyes showed enmity; almost pure hatred. I'd never seen that look on a boy as sweet as him before. This was obviously not normal behavior for _him_. "I just think that shouldn't worry too much about Robbie. If he is responsible of anything, I assure you, he will be taken care of immediately."

"Say what you will, sir," he replied, and my head snapped up at the tone he used. It was like he was just dismissing my comments. He continued talking, but my ears registered none of it. I was focusing on the suddenly-hardened features of his face.

Dark brown eyes that seemed bright with anger and accusation. Was Beck saying all this to cover up something that he was hiding on his own?

"Um, all right, Mr. Beck, you…you can go now. Just please let Robbie know I'd like to see him next. And don't worry, this is obviously just between you and me," I said, noticing his concerned reaction.

Beck loosened up from his stiff position and shook my hand firmly before leaving the room. I wasn't going to believe any of the knowledge he'd let me know, but I would watch for the signs. Within a few minutes, the timid Robbie Shapiro entered.

"Sit," I gestured kindly to the empty seat, studying his body posture and actions carefully.

Robbie sat down, ogling at me, his eyes full of fear and guilt. I tried not to stare too much, but the way he was looking at me was enough proof for me to make my decision on his role in the case of Cat Valentine.

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Jade's POV

I was back at home, sitting on my bed, holding Cat's keys in my hand. How in the world did Mr. Vega know that I was hiding something? Okay, maybe I made the mistake of reaching for my pocket halfway through the questioning, but still. Now he probably thought I had something to do with killing my best friend, as if.

When Beck had come out of Mr. Vega's office, he looked absolutely furious. I didn't ask him how it went, because I'm going to assume it was confidential, not that we made any oaths or promises before we started talking. I never got to see Robbie again, because I would've rather gone home, which I ended up doing.

I rubbed my thumb over the top of one keys. It was the only metallic silver, looking cheaply made and flimsy. But it was nice and cold in my hands, so I didn't mind. As I continued to stroke it, I noticed that something was starting to peel off. _Geez, this is a key! Is it really this delicate_?

Looking down, I saw the edge of some sort of sticker coming up.

Curious, I picked at it with my fingernails and ended up pulling off a large piece of label paper that was pressed into the design crown of the key so it was unnoticeable until now. Once I had cleared all of the sticky residue, I saw an engraving. I twisted the key around, reading it.

"'K-5,'" I read aloud.

Cat's apartment! This was the key to her apartment!

But why would she give this to me? Heck, there were still two other keys and I had no idea what they unlocked. Quickly, I rubbed the tops of the others, hoping for something to come off.

Nothing.

I sat back on the bed, this new discovery filling my mind, a warm feeling bubbling inside me.

_Cat must have something inside her apartment that she wants me to see or __get_, I thought, a smile crossing my lips. _Well, this is a good start. Now I just need to __find the perfect opportunity to __tell the others_.

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**Like it? Or not? That little button down there is your way of telling me. :D**

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	15. Fire Makes a Difference

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I was _so _busy doing stuff because it's summer. -_-**

**Anyway, there is a lot of good stuff revealed, and hopefully everything is in character.**

**Chapter is dedicated this time to two wonderful reviewers: NeonLovesYou and Jeremy Shane. Thanks you guys!**

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CHAPTER 14  
Jade's POV

"So what exactly are we doing here again?" André asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"It's been a week. We need to do some sort of honor-process-thing," Tori replied. She was kneeling down next to Cat's headstone, arranging the wilting white roses in a circle around the lit candle she had brought.

"We're going to do this every week?" Beck sniffed in disdain.

"No. Well, we'll need to come here on every anniversary obviously, but I don't know. This just feels right," Vega said, standing up to admire her handiwork, which still looked like a bunch of dying plants and a half-melted stick of wax.

"Yeah, because it's so _right _to visit graveyards on Sunday evenings with your friends and not tell anyone," I replied sarcastically.

Tori glared at me.

"You don't think Cat deserves this kind of remembrance?" she shot back, hands on her hips, looking in my direction.

I was slightly taken aback. _When did she get this female-dog attitude_?

André whistled through his teeth and even Beck was trying to hide a smile.

"No, not at all," I explained before she could karate-chop my face off or something. Actually, that would be pretty cool if she did. "I just think we should've said a few words and left. Not hang around for forty-five minutes watching you attempt to create a masterpiece."

Tori continued to stare at me, obviously trying to scare me, but I smiled sweetly and shrugged my shoulder innocently.

"Okay, well aside from that, everyone take two steps back and hold hands," Vega instructed, taking André's and Beck's. I scrunched my eyes at her for even laying a finger on my boyfriend, but now was not the time for that. Sighing, I held Beck's other hand. If anyone were to come into the cemetery right now we'd probably look like a bunch of witches trying to raise someone from the dead.

We gathered in a half circle around the flaming candle.

"If you guys want to say anything to Cat, now's your chance," Vega said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

"Do we have to hold hands when we do this?" I asked, very uncomfortable.

"Yes!" she snapped, her eyes remaining shut. _Sheesh, when did she become the superstitious old woman_?

"Um, okay, I'll go first," André volunteered. "Uh, I miss you Cat. I—_we _really do. And I hope you're having fun wherever you are."

"Wonderful," Vega sighed through her nose. "Next."

This was the absolute stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. I clenched my teeth as Beck spoke, trying to control my outrage.

"Yeah, what André said," Beck improvised, André flashing a grin in his direction. "Your turn, babe," he turned to me.

"Well, Cat, I hope you're having a good laugh at this because I'm only doing it because of you," I muttered, ignoring Vega's appalled gasps at my words. "Er…I miss you a lot too. Hope to hear from you soon."

Tori finished up with the world's most boring monologue of how everyone's lives were not the same ever since Cat passed away. I was literally falling asleep standing up.

"And now," Tori concluded, bending over and blowing out the candle. "We wish you a peaceful rest, Cat."

I jerked away from Beck. "Okay, I'm going home now."

Tori's arm twitched as if she was about to reach out and stop me, but she didn't follow through with the action. No one else made a move.

"Hey! Stop, Jade!" I heard Beck shout suddenly.

My foot froze in midair as my boyfriend came up behind me, pulling me back a few steps.

"What?" I asked, bewildered.

"You almost stepped on that," he pointed at the grass to something that appeared to be smoking several yards ahead of us.

"What, it's probably just a cigarette or something." I pulled out of his paranoid grasp and went closer to examine the object. Well, it certainly wasn't burning tobacco.

It turned out to be some sort of square-shaped piece of paper that was evidently quite thick because it wasn't catching on fire very quickly. Only a corner was smoldered in flames, the white frame charred black.

I stamped out the fire in case it would spread; the last thing in the world I needed was the entire cemetery catching on fire. I waited a few seconds before picking it up, hoping that maybe it would cool down, but I still blistered my fingers anyway.

"Ow!" I complained, dropping it again.

"What's that?" André asked, coming to stand behind Beck.

I flexed my growing-numb hand, using my good one to point at the item. André approached it carefully, taking it by the far corner from the burn marks. _Hmm, maybe I should've done that_.

"Why would somebody light paper on fire and then just leave it here? Do they not know that grass is flammable?" Beck wondered, his arms wrapping around my waist, pulling me back into his body.

"It's not just a piece of paper," André replied, turning the paper to observe at a different angle, "it's a picture. Like one of those old ones you'd see coming out of a Polaroid camera."

"Then what is it a picture of?" Beck asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vega coming over curiously to see what we were looking at.

"Okay, hold on. I see some hair. And it's pretty long, so I'm going to guess it's a girl," André described, the picture flipping in his hands as he struggled for a better view. "She's, uh, holding something, I think…but I can't see what because it got burned off."

Tori was now peering over his shoulder, I was hanging back slightly in the company of my boyfriend.

"Can you tell who it is?" André asked her.

Her eyebrows came down, like she was thinking, and then her expression lit up. She looked at André, then us, worry filling her face.

"It's…that picture…it's Cat."

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"No way!" Beck said, releasing me to see for himself. "Holy chiz, it is! It's that picture we used in that short movie we made for Dale Squires. You know, the one at the end when Jade puts a bloody knife on top of it."

I rudely snatched the picture out of André's shaking hands, bringing it close to my face so I could see it properly. Sure enough, they were right. Cat was looking dramatically to the left, and normally she would've been holding a pink flower against her chest, but that part had been singed off.

"Is anyone else here right now? It doesn't look like the picture was burning for long," André commented.

We looked around frantically, not seeing any silhouettes of figures that would tell us another human being was here. As a matter of fact, I think we were the only ones present at the time. Beck ran his hands through his hair, something he did when he was stressed out.

"Who in the world would have a picture of Cat and why would they set it on fire?" Tori pondered, only adding to the multitude of questions swarming my brain.

_Fire…fire…fire_! The word struck a familiar chord in my head.

"Fire," I repeated, hoping that it would spark the track of knowledge I was on. "Hold on, that's it! There is no one else here, is there?" I looked around again, disappointed.

"What's 'it?'" Vega asked, looking confused.

"The fire!" I shouted, suddenly acting like a little kid again with my amount of enthusiasm.

"What about the fire?" _Wow, she just didn't see it__, did she_? However, I could tell that André and Beck were thinking about it.

"Cat's house was set on fire, right?" I said, not even waiting for them to respond. "And now we find her picture here that was _also _set on fire. Coincidence or not?"

"So what does that mean?" André butted in, his face so serious I almost laughed.

"It means that someone out there who knows her likes to play with fire."

Vega gasped. Beck's expression went dark.

"The—the Hollywood Arsonist?" he stammered, and I nodded. "Like the same one that also set your mom's workplace on fire?" I smiled triumphantly, leaping forward into his unsuspecting arms and holding on tightly.

"Um, are you sure it's not just some crazy dude who likes to play with fire but isn't the arsonist?" Tori said skeptically.

"Well, I'm not _for sure_, but I think this is a pretty good start," I supplied, climbing off of Beck.

"I don't know…I mean, it is a pretty big chance, but I kind of don't buy it yet," Tori admitted.

I stared at her, only because I wanted to scare her while I thought about something. I was trying to remember all the times someone mentioned the word 'fire.' I know there was one I was missing, besides Cat's house, my mom, and now.

As my friend watched me with odd expressions, it hit me.

"One more piece of proof," I volunteered, "Remember Mrs. Valentine came into my room to ask me what happened after we were attacked in the apartment? She said something about finding the stove on, thinking that it was Raz who did it. He was making a sandwich. I saw the condiments on the counter. Usually you don't use a stove."

"Maybe he was frying something."

"No mention of pots or pans," I smirked at Vega.

They said nothing, and I felt like I had made my point.

"Then how come haven't figured any of this out yet, if what you're saying is true?" André said in a small voice.

"Well, they didn't have this," I said, stuffing the half-burned picture in my pocket. "But otherwise, it beats me. Isn't this supposed to be their _job_?"

Tori was quiet, and André interrupted.

"So we're going to go and tell them then, right?"

"Nope."

"What? Why not? Don't you want to find the man who did this to Cat…and your mom…and all those other innocent people?"

"I meant no as in we're going to do it ourselves," I replied, a grin appearing on my lips as I looked from each of my friends' faces.

"That's kind of dangerous," Beck intervened. "Maybe we should just let them—"

I shook my head. "Listen you guys, Cat, while she was still alive, knew something that no one else did. Does. I don't know if she told the police what actually happened to her once I got knocked out at the man took her into another room, but judging from what they've accomplished so far, I'm going to guess that she didn't. She's hiding something."

"Such as?" Beck said.

"Such as the fact that maybe she did get to see who her eventual killer was."

"She would've told someone," Beck snapped.

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends on who it is," I glared at them all defiantly. A shadow flickered in Beck's eyes, and I ignored it. "But what matters now is that Cat gave us a sort of heads-up on something. She gave Vega a word and me a set of keys, which, thanks to my earlier thinking, I now know what one of them unlocks."

My friends gasped as I took it out of my jacket pocket.

"'K-5,'" I read off the one key whose purpose I had discovered. "The number to Cat's apartment."

I could see that Vega was thinking of the same thing I was.

"There's something in there she wants us to find then, huh?" Tori said with a small smile.

"I don't know," I blew her off. "I've never had the chance to visit yet. But if you guys want, we can go. Together." I never thought I'd say that. Boy was I really changing after Cat's death. "But you have to promise one thing: nobody can know what we're doing, or what we've figured out. That's right, Vega I'm looking at you."

"What did I do?" she squeaked.

"Yeah, I don't give a care that your dad is the top police officer working on Cat's case. We've have our own leads, and we're going to stick with them until the end, okay? I mean, that's what Cat would've wanted, right?"

"So wait, are we going to let Robbie in on any of this?" Why did Beck seem so concerned about him?

"Yeah. We will. And if refuses, well, that won't do him any good," I grinned behind my teeth, and they all seemed to understand.

"Okay then." Tori gave me a friendly nudge and I narrowed my eyes at her. "Let's do it."

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**Wow...pretty crazy stuff in this chapter, right? Did any of you notice that ahead of time? :)**


	16. The Letter

**Sorry I didn't update earlier. I was at my brother's baseball ceremony-party thing. And yes. It was horribly boring.**

**Chapter is dedicated to: EmmaRose58 for your wonderful review. :)**

**Here we go! (BIG things are discovered.)**

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CHAPTER 15  
Jade's POV

Immediately after school all of us (including Robbie) drove over to Gladiolus Gardens. The plan was to go into the apartment using my key and see if we could find anything that Cat might've left behind for us.

"Robbie, you can stay down in the lobby and tell us if the Valentines get home early or something. Right now they're both at work…but you never know," I explained to him as we entered the crappy building, being greeted with the musty smell.

"Um, and then if they are…you want me to like text you or something?"

"I thought you didn't have actual service on your phone," Vega pointed out.

"Oh." His cheeks went bright red, and he rubbed at his scarlet nose. "Um, yeah, about that."

"That's okay. You can borrow Vega's phone." I reached over and tried to pry Tori's out of her hands.

"Hey! I didn't say it was okay? Stop it, Jade!" She swatted at me.

"Just give him your phone or we can't go up!" I hissed, noticing the people were starting to stare and lowering my voice.

"Why can't you give him yours?"

"Vega!" I frowned at her, and with a strange huff she tossed her prized possession to Robbie. "Good. Now let's go before we attract more attention." Robbie deposited himself on one of the couches, starting to fiddle with Vega's phone.

The four of us headed towards the elevators, when someone called out to us.

"And just where do y'all think you're going?"

"What?" Beck was the only one to turn around and face the annoying doorman who was walking up to us. "We're going up to a friend's room; we have some gifts for her family." He lifted up the blue party bag that Tori had insisted we bring to show-off in case we were questioned like this. I have to admit that was a pretty smart idea, especially in a situation like this.

"Come here, and none of you move," the doorman commanded to Beck to follow him to the front desk. My boyfriend followed him reluctantly where he was presented with a clipboard and a pen and scribbled something down before coming back over and gesturing us to hurry up into the lifts.

"What did he want?" André asked once we were safely away.

"Just which apartment we were going to, my name, time," Beck shrugged.

"Well hold on, how do you think Cat's eventual killer got into the building without having to go through him? I mean, wouldn't he have had to write down the time and stuff."

"My dad already took a look into that," Tori answered. "He said that no one visited K-5 around the time you and Cat were attacked. I mean, he could've put down a fake room, but otherwise there was nothing."

"Oh."

"We're going to K-5, right?" André asked as we walked out into the empty hallway. I nodded, leading my friends to Cat's apartment. Taking the single key out of my pocket (I had detached it from the ring), I pushed it into the rusty lock and twisted it sharply.

The door opened with a slight creak, but after some more turning and banging, it was free and swung out, revealing the inside of the empty apartment.

"All right!" André cheered, fist-pumping the air and high-fiving Beck.

"Okay," I turned around to face them also looking down the corridors to make sure no one was watching us, "do not, I repeat, _do not_ break anything or make it look like we're here. If you do, I will be breaking your face shortly afterwards.

"And if Robbie calls us and you are not freaking out of the apartment within two seconds and the Valentines come up and catch us, once we're all in jail I will kill you myself. Got it?"

"Go through everything, look for clues, don't get caught," Beck summarized.

"Perfect. All right, team. Let's go."

We piled into the apartment like a SWAT group, immediately going through—but not overturning—the furniture. André was in the kitchen, wrenching open the fridge (I have no idea why) and going through the contents underneath the sink. Beck had gone to investigate the bathroom and Tori had disappeared in Cat and Raz's bedroom. That left me with the master bedroom.

But it wasn't really all that 'masterful.' It was just about the same size as Cat's, just instead of two beds there was an extra big one in the middle. The walls were green and hideous, but I guessed that the Valentines were going to cover over it judging from the cans of paint sitting by the door.

_I have no idea what I'm even doing in here_. But Vega was in Cat's room and there was no way in the world I was going to go in there with her. So I made the best of my situation and started looking around. There was a small bathroom on the opposite side with the tiniest tub and sink I've ever seen. There was barely enough room to get my knees down on the dusty, stained floor so I devoted my time snooping through the numerous papers and books scattered around the bed.

I assumed the left half was Mr. Valentine's side due to the immense clutter and messy sheets, but then again, what I thought was Mrs. Valentine's wasn't much better. I got down on my hands, examining underneath the bed, pushing through the chaos when something especially caught my eye.

It was a bright white envelope, the top jagged as if it had been opened in a haste.

I reached out and grabbed it, sitting back on my heels and looking curiously at what was written on the front. It was addressed to Mrs. Valentine, complete with her apartment number, but with no return address.

_Hmm…this might be going a little too far reading someone else's mail. Eh, what do I have to lose? _

I pushed apart the top, finding a piece of thick construction paper, folded in half. I paused with the note in my hand, starting to grasp what I was really about to do. Shrugging it off, I flipped it open, finding that the entire thing was written in words and letters cut out from magazines. I knew then that I had to read it.

_Dear Mrs. Valentine,_

_ I know you probably hate me more than any other man on Earth, but I want to apologize for what I did to your daughter. You know who I am. I cannot handle myself sometimes, but often the situations in which I get into are never as dire as this was. The feelings this time…they were too strong for me to control. _

_ You will never know how sorry I was when I realized what I had done. I never meant to kill her completely. Just teach her a lesson, I swear that was it. But it got out of hand. And I can never go back and change what I've done. _

_ I beg with all my heart that you understand how I feel about this. It hurts me as much as it hurts you—if not more. Your daughter was a wonderful soul to be around, but now she exists no longer all thanks to me. _

_ Please help me. What kind of mother would you be if you didn't? You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? Yet you sat around, watching my feelings grow and grow towards her, and then you did nothing to stop me. _

_ This isn't supposed to be a threat-note, but I'll go there if I have to. No…wait…that was not the point of writing this…yes, yes it was._

_ Turn me into the police; I'll get you and your son. That's not a threat. That's a promise. Believe me. I know where you live, I've been hanging around for a while actually. So don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, okay? It would be a shame for your lives to end so much earlier than necessary._

_ You can't ignore me, Mrs. Valentine, because I'm closer to you than comfort. _

_-RS_

The letter was almost crumpled in my grip. This was from the man who killed Cat! I read the entire thing over, learning several things: the killer seemed to know Mrs. Valentine quite well; the last part of the letter seemed really random, although the words were still just as neatly cut and glued on like the rest; and why did those two letters at the end seem so familiar?

I took out my phone, snapping a picture of the entire card before stuffing it back into the envelope and shoving it underneath the bed again. My hands were shaking, and my head was spinning.

_This cannot be happening…this cannot be happening_.

Yet it was.

Was this the letter Cat wanted me to find? But no, that wasn't possible. It was obviously written _after _she died, and there's no way she could've predicted that. At least, I don't think there was.

I looked at the picture once again on my phone. The word were clear and visible, in its multicolored fonts and sizes.

RS.

RS.

My jaw dropped when I realized why the initials seemed so familiar.

_Robbie Shapiro_.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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_No. There's no way Robbie, of all people would do this to Cat. He loves—loved her_. I refused to believe the swamp of accusations entering my brain. Pounding on my head with my fists, I stood up, cradling my phone in my hands.

_ Who should I tell about this? I have to tell someone. This is too important to be held off, and screw what the note says. I'm not Mrs. Valentine._

Slowly, I walked out of the bedroom.

"Is it time to leave?" Tori asked, her sweaty head popping out of the doorway of Cat's room.

"How long have we been here?" _I must've lost track of time_.

"Like half an hour. I think we'd better go, though," André said from the kitchen still. "We don't want Robbie to look like a fool sitting downstairs by himself."

_Robbie_. The name jolted my heart, but I forced myself to look calm.

"All right then, team," I said, because I was the captain here, "double-check and make sure you didn't leave anything behind or anything that makes it look like someone was in here, okay?" My friends followed orders immediately. I couldn't bear to go back into the bedroom so I sat in the living room, keeping watch over everything.

"All clean, cap'n," Tori stated from Cat's bedroom.

"Same here," André said, straightening up.

"Done," Beck reported from the bathroom.

"So did any of you find anything of importance?" I asked as we ushered ourselves out into the hall. I locked the door firmly behind us, pulling on the handle several times to make sure.

"No," Vega replied. "Cat's parents haven't touched anything on her side; I guess they want to leave it that way to remember her or something. And Raz seems to be hiding sandwiches underneath his bed," she rolled her eyes disgustedly, and I snickered.

"I found food and cleaning supplies in the kitchen," André said.

"No surprise there. Well there's nothing to report in the bathroom either," Beck sighed as we entered the elevator and rode down to the lobby. "What about you, Jade?"

"Nope."

We walked past the obnoxious doorman, who was now stroking his thick hair with a pick comb. Robbie jumped up when he saw us, and once we were well away from the building and walking towards our cars, he spoke up.

"Did you guys find anything?"

"No," Beck replied immediately, in a tone I detected as harsh.

"So are we ever going to come back?"

"Maybe," I said before anyone else could. "Right now, I need to figure out what these other keys unlock and what our next move will be. Meanwhile, maybe you guys can do some research on that Hollywood arsonist. And remember, this is done with discretion, all right?"

They nodded, too scared to challenge what I'd just told them.

We split up at the parking lot. Beck was taking me home, so at least I'd have a private chance to tell him some of the annoying things that were on my mind.

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**DUN DUN DUN (need I say more?). Review?**


	17. Beck Oliver

**Special dedication to: keshafever for your heartwarming review. :)**

**Lots of talking in this chapter, just to kind of give you more of an idea of what each of the characters are thinking and such.**

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CHAPTER 16  
Jade's POV

"Well, that was a bit of a shaky experience, wasn't it?" Beck asked as we exited the lot and started down the road to my house. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"You bet." My voice was hollow and unconvincing.

"What's wrong? Was it too much for you? You didn't go into Cat's room, did you?" Beck turned to look at me.

"No..it's just…" The urge of telling someone about the letter was too powerful, even for someone like me. I felt like the weight of it was crushing my chest with each breath I took. "I found a very disturbing letter in the master bedroom addressed to Mrs. Valentine. I think…I think it was from her killer."

The car jerked to a stop, almost throwing me out of my seat and Beck pulled over at once. "What? Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I'm worried."

"Jade West…_worried_?" he snorted.

"Yes," I said, not thrilled that he was treating me like this and pulling out my phone. "See? Read it. Read it and tell me that you wouldn't be worried either." He snatched it out of my hands, reading it quickly. His face drooped, draining of color and making him look almost sickly.

"RS?" he whispered in a soft tone, handing the phone back.

"I know what you're thinking, but it might actually stand for something else—"

"Yes! Oh, yes!" He grabbed my shoulders, shaking me briefly. "That…that is an _amazing _discovery you've made, Jade." _What_? He seemed so excited despite how terrifying and puzzling the letter was. "Jade, you need to send that to the police. Like right now. Before it's too late."

"You really think Robbie did it, huh?"

"Well, uh…" he stumbled over his words, "Um, duh! All the proof you need is in that picture right there!"

"So that's why you've been acting funny every time someone mentions his name," I had my hand on the door lever, testing to see if it was unlocked, which it was. "You think he did it."

"I know it's really hard to believe, but that's the truth," Beck tried to convince me.

"No it isn't. Robbie was in love with Cat as much as anyone could be without dating. He wouldn't go and kill her over some rejections of unwanted affections," I argued.

"You'd be surprised," he grumbled, slumping in his seat. "Love makes people do the craziest things. I mean, look at the things I do for you—"

"_Excuse me_?" The words were full of hatred at this point. "What do you mean, 'Look at the things I do for you?' Do you really love me, Beck?"

"I—I didn't mean it like that, seriously. Babe, I meant like, you're always so much nicer to me and stuff and—"

I wrenched open the door before he could lock it again and stepped out into the warm sun, my bag drooping off of my shoulder.

"Wait, wait, I'm so sorry!"

"Too late," I called back, continuing to walk down the paved sidewalk.

"Your house is like seven miles away!" he said.

"So? Ever hear of exercising? You should try it sometime." I felt a little bad about that jibe. Beck was a lot more fit than most of the guys at HA. Still, I didn't stop, keeping my nose in the air like a snotty little brat.

"Hold on, babe. I'm sorry," Beck tried again, revving the car and riding it next to me.

"Sorry for what?" I didn't even look at him.

"I didn't mean anything that I just said to make you upset. I love you Jade, I really do. And I don't want you to be angry. Or have to walk seven miles by yourself to your house," he apologized.

"Then join me," I gestured to the empty air on my right and left.

"How about you come into the car?"

I gave him a glance; he had on his most adorable puppy-dog face. I hated it when he did that. It really ticked me off that I fell for it pretty much every single time. He sat there patiently waiting, and finally _finally _I walked over to the door and opened it up, hopping in.

Beck's smile grew even bigger as he started driving again.

I saw his mouth open and barged in with, "Don't say anything. Just drive."

"Okay, I promise."

And before I could tell him off, he leaned over and crushed his lips against mine. I'm surprised we didn't crash.

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ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

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We pulled on to my street, the silence of the ride being strangely comforting. I was staring out the window, my arms crossed over my chest, and even Beck seemed slightly deflated at my attitude. Until we saw who was parked in front of my house.

"What illegal thing did you do now?" Beck mumbled, looking at the flashing lights of the police car in my driveway.

"Nothing," I hissed. "You don't think anyone saw us in the Valentines' apartment, right?"

"Nope. Unless Robbie forgot—"

"Okay, you can shut up now."

Chuckling slightly, Beck stopped his car on the curb, and we both got out, hesitantly approaching the police vehicle. The person inside, where we could see through the tinted windows; shifted in their seat, then the door opened, and I could not help but feel extremely relieved once I saw who it was.

"Mr. Vega!" Beck said, and I could tell his mood had lightened up as well.

"Hello, kids," Tori's dad greeted, walking over and shaking hands with us. He looked a lot scarier in his fancy police get-up: the hat shading his forehead, shiny badge pinned to his chest, sleek gun locked away in its holster on his left side.

"Um, what are you doing here, sir?" I asked, trying to look away from the weapon. I couldn't help it. They interested me so much, and I wanted one of my own one day.

"Well, I've been working as Cat's case, as you know," he explained, looking at Beck. "And I was just checking up on you two to see if there's any new information you might've received in the past few days. Or even just some new guesses to who did it, honestly."

I could feel Beck's gaze boring into the side of my head. I knew he wanted me to say something about the letter.

"Uh, no sir," I lied. "Nothing. But, we have, uh, certainly been keeping a look out. Unfortunately we haven't found anything."

"Oh really?" Mr. Vega's tone made my heart stop. "So what have you kids been doing all afternoon? Tori just got home a few minutes ago, and she said that she was hanging out with you lot."

"That's right. We…we were just uh, at Nozu. You know, just, eating sushi and, yeah, hanging out." Beck said, his full of nervousness. _Ah great, now he's going to blow our case_.

"Like, just talking and stuff?" I nodded, my palms starting to sweat. _What exactly is he trying to get at_? "Because Tori told me that you guys think that the Hollywood Arsonist has something to do with Cat's killer."

_God curse that girl and all of her grandchildren_, I thought bitterly, resisted the urge to hang my head in shame and pity for her.

"Is that true?" Mr. Vega persisted when he got no reaction from us.

"Uhm, no. We never talked about anything like that," I replied calmly.

"Jade, you are a terrible, terrible liar."

Sweat ran down my face and Beck tensed up.

"Okay, so yeah. Maybe we did talk about it a little," Beck confessed, probably figuring that it was better to come clean than to deny. That was the first step when it came to talking to the authority. "But, I mean it was just, a thought. Because making a full accusation would be completely absurd, wouldn't it?" He was looking straight into Mr. Vega's confident gaze.

"Yes, but I'm interested in hearing why you guys would think of that. I mean, I've pieced together what _my _thoughts are, judging from what my daughter tells me, but I'd like to hear it from you two."

Beck looked at me like he expected me to explain, but I curled my lip at him.

He took over. "Well, we just kind of thought that the person who's Cat's killer might be linked to an arsonist because you know, her house _was _set on fire, and uhm…" Beck was about to say about the flaming picture we'd seen at the graveyard but obviously knew that I would strangle him right in front of a police officer if he did.

"And Mrs. Valentine did say that she found the stove on when she came back home from her shopping…and Raz was making a sandwich…which normally you don't use a stove for…" Beck trailed off.

"Yes, that's exactly what my own thoughts were," Mr. Vega nodded, smiling. "You sure you kids don't want to be detectives when you grow up? Because clearly some of your acting needs work." I glared at him, knowing that he was talking about me.

He walked around to the driver's seat of his car and climbed inside. _Is that seriously all the heck he wanted to know_? "I'll see you kids later. Have a great day."

_Oh, geez, I _hated _it when people said that. Mr. Vega, does it freaking look like I'm having a good day_?

We watched as he drove off.

"Was that really it?" Beck asked, walking me up to my front door. We stopped and he added, "And was he talking about you when he said that some of us need to become better actresses?"

"Figure it out," I muttered, digging through my purse for my key to the door. I kept grabbing the ring from Cat, and Beck reached over to help me.

"You really carry those around all the time?" he asked, touching Cat's keys.

"Why not? You never know if you're going to need to unlock something," I snapped, opening up a new compartment and riffling through it unsuccessfully.

"Are you sure you're okay, Jade? I mean, earlier, please forgive—"

"I don't care about earlier anymore, all right?" I said, meaning it. I had finally found my keys and I shoved the correct one into the keyhole, twisting it and opening the front door.

"You're mad at Tori then, huh?"

"Heck yes. You don't make promises you can't keep, you know? I told everyone to keep their blabbing pie holes shut about the arsonist thing, and she was to be the stupid one and blow it for the rest."

"Maybe it happened for the better," he tried to put some sense in to me.

"Doesn't matter anymore. I bet you she didn't even tell her dad that _I _was the one who came up with that guess in the first place. She's going to take all my frickin' credit." I stepped into my house, turning around to continue talking to Beck.

"Well, Mr. Vega did come by to _your _house, so maybe not. You can't judge her too much, Jade. Everyone's out-of-whack still, you know."

_I should've seen this coming_, I thought, my temper rising as I struggled to control it. _I knew someone was going to break the promise…but I would've never guessed it would happen this earlier…okay, and I kind of had the feeling that Vega was going to be the one to do it_.

"Forget about the past and move on with your life," I snarled.

"But don't act like it never happened," Beck retorted quietly.

I sighed, giving up. "I'll…I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay." He looked very sad, and I think he was expecting a good-bye hug or kiss or something, but I was already getting ready to close the door, so he started walking away. I slammed the door as he trudged down the path back to his car.

I didn't even bothering calling out to see if my dad was here. Whether I did or not, he wouldn't respond, or come over and say hi and ask how my day was.

I bounded up the stairs into my bedroom, locking the door behind me and wishing all of my problems would disappear for once.

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**Meh...so much dialogue. They're so boring to write and there's not action or excitement. :/ Too bad they have to happen otherwise the story would be really confusing. SO I will update tomorrow again because to make up for the lameness of this one. :D**


	18. Hidden Medicines

**Okay, hopefully more excitement in this chapter!**

**Dedicated to: the amazing sloth13 and teezee. :)**

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CHAPTER 17  
Jade's POV

RING! RING! RING!

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing and making obnoxiously loud noises. _It's Saturday for crying out loud! Who the heck calls at seven in the morning on a _Saturday?

I reached over the edge of my bed and groped on the floor for my PearPhone, finally touching and bringing it up to my ear without even bothering to see who was calling.

"What?" I screeched in a sleepy voice.

"It's Beck."

"Oh. What's up, babe?" My mood inflated significantly.

"I know it's early, but there's someone here who needs to talk to you," he said.

"Hi Jade." It was Tori.

"Vega! What the heck are you doing with my boyfriend?" I sat up in bed, starting to scream into the microphone, not caring if my dad was still asleep. "Beck! Beck where are you? Why is Vega with you? Is this your way of telling me you want to break up?" I was panicking and upset.

"I'm right here, babe," I heard Beck grumbling in the background. "And for starters, she came over to _me_, not the other way around."

"What did she want this time?"

"I'm right here, Jade, and I can still hear you," Tori sounded offended. I couldn't care less. "I wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry that I told my dad about your arsonist suspicions. But I had to—"

"No," I snapped, my vicious energy pounding in my head, now focusing solely on Tori despite the fact that she was _with_ my boyfriend. "You didn't have to say anything. You freakin' promised, Vega."

"I know, I know, but—"

I continued to rudely cut her off. "Don't make promises you can't keep." I glared at the phone harshly as if she could see me and hung up. "Stupid, stupid Vega," I muttered to myself.

My phone started ringing again, but this time it was Tori herself who was calling.

Sighing, I picked up. "What?"

"Did you just hang up on me?" Tori sounded insulted and hurt, like it was completely impossible to do to someone.

"I don't know. Did it sound like this?"

CLICK.

Smirking at my own joke, I tossed my phone to the floor where I wouldn't be able to retrieve it unless I wanted to get out of bed completely, which would usually wake me up enough to not get back in. Picking up a nearby pillow, I covered my head to muffle the sounds of my cellular device as it started ringing again.

Four un-answering calls later, Tori got the memo decided to just leave a message.

"Jade, I'm sorry. I really, really, truly am. I just thought that my dad could figure out something with the new clues and stuff. But apparently he already pieced it together. I never meant to make you upset, and I know that I went back on my promise. If I do it again, you can come over to my house and do whatever you want to me. Whatever you want. Just don't hate me…well, more than you already do. Okay, bye."

I sat there, thinking about what Vega had just said. _Did she come up with that just now_? It was pretty thoughtful and even I was impressed. It would be nice to go over and do certain _things _with her too. But right now the only thing on my mind was getting back to the Valentines' apartment.

Would it be safe? Sure it was the weekend now, and no doubt they would be in the apartment, but the words of the letter were gnawing at my brain like a hungry wolf. I could only hold it off for so long.

I hadn't even done my job of figuring out what the other two keys were for, but how else was I supposed to do it other than shoving them into every lock thrown at me? I only guessed the apartment one because of what was engraved on the surface. The others were just keys. No sense of identification, besides the pointy end with a unique jagged surface that was like no other.

I hopped off my bed, picking up my phone and dialing Beck.

"Hello." He sounded _way _too cheerful for a boy who had Tori Vega in his RV. I was going to have to talk to him about letting strangers into his 'home.'

"Beck, we need to go back and visit the Valentines."

"So soon? And won't they be home today?" He didn't seem too into the idea.

"I don't know. Maybe. But I need to go back. It's…it's just a feeling I've got, you know? And it has something to do with…" my voice dropped significantly, "…the letter."

"Uhm, sure. You wanna call the others or will I…?"

"Yes you do it. I need some time to think."

"Sure thing, babe. We'll meet at my place, okay? Take your time." Beck hung up.

I sat there, thinking and thinking. I was risking what little I had left, but that didn't matter. We were getting closer and closer, and I'm not going to give up until that man is behind bars, or better yet, dead.

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Sure enough, around 11:00 a.m. everyone was gathered around Beck's RV. I was the last to arrive but that was okay seeing as I was the leader here and after all; I had a _lot _more things on my mind than being punctual.

"What's up, Jade?" André asked upon seeing me.

"We're going back to the Valentines' apartment."

"So soon? And won't the family be home?" Tori sounded skeptical. I wanted to punch her in the face.

"Well, thanks to you, _Tori_, Mr. Vega now knows about the arsonist accusation we had," I explained to everyone else.

"He actually already figured it out," Tori defended, although turning very red.

"Still. You made a promise and you broke it." I wasn't going to give up.

"I apologized already," she continued, "and anyway, I was trying to help—"

"Doesn't matter. The only person you ended up 'helping' was me; now I know that you obviously can't be trusted very well, huh?"

"Jade," Beck warned.

I turned and faced the others. "Is anybody else hear unclear of what I specifically asked of you just a few days ago? To not tell _anyone _what we're doing for any reason? Do you all understand that this is very confidential and possibly illegal?" They nodded.

"I—" Tori fought back one more time.

"Shut it, Vega," I growled, and she almost looked on the verge of tears for being called out. "Everyone: we'll assemble in the parking lot to discuss our next move, all right?"

They followed orders without another peep.

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Tori's POV

André was the lucky man to drive me to the Gladiolus Gardens, because I _still_ didn't have my license yet.

"Hey, Tor, don't worry about Jade too much," he comforted. "She's just upset because Cat's…gone, you know? Then again we all are."

"Yeah," I echoed feebly.

We didn't talk for the rest of the ride. When we pulled in, everyone was already there, waiting in their cars.

Jade got out and gestured us to go behind Beck's car.

"Okay, so, I need someone to go upstairs and check if the Valentines are in or not. Any volunteers?" Jade asked. No one moved. "Okay, great. Vega, you go do it."

"Hey!" I shouted. "I didn't raise my—"

"Do it." If Jade had laser vision, she would've melted me into a puddle of Tori Vega soup.

"Okay, okay, sheesh," I muttered. "Is there a back door or something? I don't want that creepy doorman to see me again. He'll probably get suspicious too, because we're kind of coming here a lot now."

"There's one right there," Robbie pointed out to the solid gray door-shaped object on the side of the building.

I walked over to it, but finding that there wasn't even a handle on the outside. "Brilliant." I glanced over at Jade, hoping for some more instruction or advice, but she was turned around, talking amongst her friends. Sighing, I went around to the front of the building, mentally preparing to face that wretched, detestable, afro-haired man.

I got in and took the elevator up to the floor where the apartment was located. It was kind of creepy being in there by myself, and I was very relieved to be on solid ground again.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

I pounded on the door, shouting, "Mr. and Mrs. Valentine? Raz? It's me, Tori. I uh, have something to tell you guys."

No answer.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

I continued knocking until my knuckles were almost bruised and I was sure I was going to attract attention from the nearby apartments. _Well, I guess they're not home after all_.

Pulling out my PearPhone, I called up Beck and told him that it was safe to come up. I went back downstairs and found that the back door actually had a knob on the _inside_, and I let my friends in through there so that they wouldn't need to register at the front.

André, Jade and Beck came in, but Robbie insisted on staying inside. I glanced at Jade, seeing how she would react, but surprisingly, she accept Robbie's offer without a second thought and told him to continue keeping watch for us.

"All right, I gotta give you points for getting us up here, Vega," Jade said, her mouth turned into a hard line as she inserted the apartment key and opened the door. "Um, this time _I'll_ be in the bathroom. You guys do what you want. Remember the rules and don't make too much noise, either."

Once we were in Jade headed straight for her destination and André went into Cat's bedroom along with Beck. I had no idea where to go, not really interested in the parents' living quarters. I sat down on the couch in the living space, looking around and noticing a folded note sitting on the counter. Getting up, I went over to read it.

_Raz,_

_ Your father and I will be out until around dinnertime, so if you get home early from your doctor's visit, go and stay with Derek in the lobby. We don't want you to be by yourself in the apartment. _

_Much love,  
__Mom_

I giggled and set the paper aside, going to sit back on one of the couches, making a mental note to tell Robbie to watch out for Raz. Just then, Jade came out of the bathroom, coughing up a storm and shielding her face.

"Ack! Cough—cough…geez they really need to clean out that bathroom," she said, her eyes watering. She came over and sat next to me, putting her red phone down on the table as she hacked violently into her elbow and wiped her face. "Okay. I'm going back. What the heck are you doing?"

"Supervising."

Her eyes narrowed and she muttered something about being 'immature' before going back into the bathroom, without her phone, something that she yelled at us constantly to keep with ourselves. I decided to make myself busy and went into the kitchen, ducking underneath the cabinets below the sink and going through the strong-smelling chemical bottles and stacks of paper towels and sponges.

I heard a noise that made my head jerk up. Hiding behind the counter, I peered over and saw Beck walking towards Jade's phone, picking it up and unlocking the screen. He seemed to type something quickly, looking around cautiously and setting it down before going back to the bedroom.

_What did he just do_? I wondered. _Oh well_. I became lost within the rusty piping and sounds of flowing water.

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Jade's POV

I was pretty sure I was going to get sick from inhaling all of the dust particles coming from the bathroom. I lifted up the collar of my shirt and covered my nose, but it only made me look more like an idiot.

Beneath the sink was absolutely nothing of importance, and I had now opened up the newly-fixed medicine cabinet in search of something of more value.

The only items inside were bottled medicines: both liquid and pill form. I pushed them around, going through all the labels like a nosy house guest. Nothing out of the ordinary. Painkillers, prescription drugs, things for headaches, flues, and colds.

And then something caught my eye.

It glittered, and on a closer look I noticed that it was a silver keyhole pushed against the far wall of the bottom row. My heart beating faster than a drum, I wrenched out Cat's ring of keys and tried the gold one into the lock. It barely fit halfway.

I tried the other one, and it sprang open like a perfect fit.

I struggled to keep my excitement under control, looking at what the panel was hiding. It appeared to just be an orange Walgreens bottle. I picked it up, looking at the white label.

"'Take one pill a day, with a meal or drink. If DID does not get better, do not overdose but please request another visit with your doctor,'" I read out loud. _Hold on, doesn't DID stand for dissociative identity disorder? Hmm, must be for Raz, or maybe even Cat. I wonder why it's hidden and why they still have it if she's…gone_.

I placed the bottle back and locked the secret door and shutting the cabinet completely, sitting down on the closed toilet seat, thinking.

And just then, Tori burst in, looking anxious and scared.

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**Well, sort of a cliff-hanger maybe? Now we've discovered what two out of the three keys unlock! But when will we learn _why_ they were given to Jade and the _exact _purpose for them are?**

**Review!**


	19. Arrest

**Yesterday I had a dream that I met Ariana Grande in a Safeway store and she pushed me over and ran off. And then she came back when I was outside and did the same thing. -_- I think that's her way of getting back for killing her character in this story. :D  
No, just kidding. I'm just telling this to you guys because I have nothing else to say up here (you have to read the chapter first).**

**I would like to give special thanks tooooo: NeonLovesYou (I like the way you think :D), teezee, sloth13, Jeremy Shane anddd Binnie-Bunny!**

**Okay, read the chapter! I know you want to!**

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CHAPTER 18  
Tori's POV

I had gone back into Cat's room, on requesting that the guys take a break and go check out the master bedroom or something. I hadn't fully completed my mission from last time in going through her things, and I wanted to continue.

The small wooden dresser by her bed was the one thing I was really interested in looking at. I wrenched open the drawers one by one, going through the random scraps of paper, food particles, and trash.

At the bottom bin, underneath a whole pile of junk, I finally came across a particularly thick journal. _This must've been the one Cat was telling me about in the hospital_, I thought to myself, starting to feel a little choked up. Turning it over in my hands, I noticed that it was stuck together with a lock.

A lock.

The keys she had given Jade!

I burst out of the bedroom, ignoring whoever was watching me in the kitchen, and running straight to the bathroom. Opening the bathroom door without thinking, I found Jade sitting on the toilet.

"Oh shoot! I'm sorry!" I screamed, backing up. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

"What? I'm not using it." Jade stood up to prove it, turning slightly red.

"Oh." _Then that was a close call_.

"What do you want?" Jade scratched her head, looking a little annoyed herself.

"I need your—"

Just then, there was loud shout coming from the kitchen and we raced out, finding André holding his phone up to his ear, and he looked _scared_.

"Guys, guys," André said, putting it down, "we need to go. Now. Robbie said there's some police outside, and now he's back inside the building."

We all froze, unable to comprehend the knowledge.

"Well then, let's go!" Jade was the first to say and taking action instantly. She grabbed her phone from the table and Beck yelled for André to pull himself together, who then snatched me up, and we ran to the elevators and took it downstairs to the lobby.

There was a burly police officer already standing there, two armed, smaller assistants by his sides, one of which was holding very tightly onto our friend.

"Robbie!" I shouted, lunging forward to grab him but an officer got in my way, pushing me a few feet back. Apartment-dwellers were standing nearby, eager to get a glimpse of the action.

"What are you doing to our friend?" André demanded as Robbie struggled to get out of the man's grip, and he was putting up a terrific fight.

"Oh, so he's _your _friend?" the big officer asked.

"Uh, yeah. What do you think you're doing?" I interrupted.

"Tori," Beck warned from behind me as André moved up to take my flank. I could hear Jade muttering under her breath, "Be quiet, Beck. This is getting good."

But then the officer said something that I'm sure made Jade take back what she'd just said.

"Robbie Shapiro is under arrest."

"_What_?" André couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Under arrest for what? Where's your proof? Where's your proof, _Officer_?" He put emphasis on the man's title, almost like he was threatening him. I grabbed his shoulder, trying to hold him back.

"He's under arrest, and it's none of your business."

"Yes it is!" I intervened, getting up in his face. "Robbie is our friend!"

I heard Jade mumbling something inaudible, but I continued glaring at the big officer.

"Missy, you better calm down. And take Robbie outside, will you? We need to clear the area before it gets out of hand." The officer faced his partners.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Robbie exploded with all of a sudden as he was being dragged out of the building, his glasses slipping off of his nose and shattering when they hit the floor, but no one bothered to pick them back up. "YOU HAVE THE WRONG PERSON!"

"You match the exact picture of Robbie Shapiro, kid, so I'm pretty sure we have the right guy," the main officer sneered as the doors opened and Robbie was ushered out, kicking and screaming at his captors.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can't just—where are you taking him?" I shouted as the officer turned to leave. Jade was glaring at his retreating back, Beck keeping a hold on her and me keeping André from attack him.

"Where does it look like we're going, Miss?" the officer retorted.

"Oh, god, they're taking him to the police station," I said.

"No duh, Vega." Jade grumbled.

"But, wait…why?" It was too late; he was gone. The four of us stood there, unbelieving at what just happened. Outside, Robbie was forced into the back of a cop car, his hands locked behind his back in cuffs and he was gazing tearfully out the window at the building. The sirens came on and they left the parking lot.

"Whoo-ee! Now what was that all about?" Derek the annoying doorman whistled through his teeth as everyone started to leave, talking amongst themselves.

"Robbie?" I said in a small voice.

"Everyone," Jade commanded, pulling away from Beck. "Get outside. Now."

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Jade's POV

No one followed us and we went into the parking lot. Tori was visibly shaking, and it looked like she was going to start crying _again_. If she did, so help me I would punch her in the mouth until she stopped. Now was no time to start bawling like a baby, even if one of our friends did just get arrested.

"What in the name of gravy just happened?" André ordered to know, staring at me.

"What the _heck _are you looking at me for?" I shot back, moving to get up in his face. André tried to stare me down, but even still, he looked scared.

"You two…stop it right now," Beck intervened, pushing André away from me.

"Explain what just happened then," André repeated. "Why were those police there all of a sudden? What is that all about?"

"Calm down, André," Tori choked, putting her arms around him. André frowned, but said nothing more. _Stupid girl, thinking that hugs can solve all the world's problems_.

"Okay, so first off, I have absolutely _no idea _what just happened, but I think it's safe to assume that Robbie got arrested for Cat's death, okay?" I said, trying to calm everyone down.

"But I want to know how he got convicted," Tori corrected.

"Does it look like I know, _Vega_?" I started screaming. "I was up in the bathroom the entire time, in case you couldn't figure it out—"

"Okay, okay! Stop yelling!" Tori bawled. "I'm sorry, geez!"

My left eye was twitching so fast I lost vision on that side. Beck slipped his fingers around mine and I crushed his hand as hard as I could. Air flew out of his mouth but he didn't try and pull away.

"Your dad is a police officer. Why don't you go ask him?"

"Well, I would, if he was _here right now_—" Our argument was getting more and more heated by the second as the boys stood there and watched helplessly.

Beck wrenched his hand out of mine, jumping in between us.

"You guys need to stop, okay? Yes, Robbie got arrested, but we don't know if they'll actually be able to convict him depending on the evidence they have, whatever it is," he said.

"What did you do this time?" I muttered.

"I didn't do anything," Beck replied, looking hurt that I had accused him. "But I think you did."

"Did what? I'm just as innocent as any person around here."

"The letter."

I rolled my eyes as Tori and André stared hard at me. Putting my hands up in surrender, I said, "Okay, okay. Yes, I have been hiding something for a few days, and yes, it is a pretty big deal, and no, I did not give it to the police. I didn't want to show you guys because seriously, sometimes you're just a bunch of blabbing idiots."

Tori wiped her face, her eyes turning red as I taunted her.

I whipped out my PearPhone, showing them the picture of the letter I'd found in Mrs. Valentine's bedroom. As they all crowded around to read it (Beck faking it) I explained where I'd found it.

"Well, that is some pretty hardcore evidence," André said when he was done. "And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if the police got a hold of that and it's what they're using to convict him with."

"The question is though," I snapped my fingers, "how did they get it?"

"Maybe Mrs. Valentine gave it to them," Beck reasoned. I noticed that Tori was looking at him with a weird expression on her face.

"Vega," I interrupted, "what are you looking at?"

"Huh? Oh, um, nothing."

"Well, I guess it's good Mrs. Valentine stood up for herself, but it doesn't seem so good for the person who wrote the letter," André pondered. "And if it really is Robbie, well, it doesn't seem like he's the sort of guy to write down something like that, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"Maybe he really is—"

"Jade!" Tori shouted suddenly. "I forgot to tell you, but now I remember." I raised my eyebrows at her. "I found Cat's journal is her bedroom," she said with a cocky amount of confidence.

"So?" I wasn't amused.

"It was locked," she continued with a big smile.

Everyone's face seemed to light up.

"Well, did you open it up?" André asked eagerly.

"No," Tori seemed resentful. "I was going to ask Jade for the key but then Robbie called and said that the police were downstairs."

"Well, could we go back up—?"

"No," I interrupted. "We are getting out of here as soon as possible. But I guess that means we have to come back to this skunk hole again to get the journal. So, no one say anything about this letter, got it?" I looked Tori right in the eye and she seemed to understand. "It might not be much of a shock that Robbie did 'it,' but you never know. The future's always changing and I'm really hoping it doesn't end like this."

"Right, right," everyone nodded.

"Okay. The news media will probably be here trying to get the scoop on what happened, so we won't be coming back for a week at least." I rolled my eyes. "But I'll make the call for next time. Now let's get out of here."

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Tori's POV

After André dropped me off at my house, I went inside to find my dad sitting at the kitchen table, the entire surface covered with pieces of paper and his electronics.

"What's up, Dad?" I asked, walking over.

"Oh, you're home, thank goodness. Did you hear about what happened to Robbie?" my dad got up, wiping his forehead and approaching me.

"Um, no, what?" I faked.

"He…he got arrested."

"What for?" I was so happy to have been taking acting classes at Hollywood Arts.

"They think he was the one that murdered Cat."

Now was my chance to get answers to all of the questions I had and none of my friends could figure out. "But…how? What kind of evidence did they have all of a sudden to convict him like that?"

"The police at the station told me that they apparently received news of a letter," my dad shook his head, "in a picture from a text message from an unknown contact." _The letter Jade showed us_. "It was sort of like a threat-death note thing, and it was signed by Robbie. Or at least they _think _it was Robbie. The initials were 'RS' and it heavily indicated towards him, so they just assumed."

_Okay, so that rules out Mrs. Valentine giving the police the letter in person_, I thought. _And it was sent in a text message? Jade has the picture on her phone_…

Then it hit me.

Beck.

He was messing with her phone, wasn't he? In the apartment? But I wasn't for sure. Why in the world would _Beck _want _Robbie _arrested?

"So you mean technically, he could still get out because they don't know for sure that he did it?" I asked, trying to think straight with the thoughts of Beck possibly texting the letter to the police out of my head.

"Yes. And I think he will get out," my dad replied confidently.

"What makes you think that?" I asked, sitting down on the couch and looking over at him.

"Well, remember when I did the interviews with you kids?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, I noticed something about Robbie that actually went against all of the evidence everyone had given me that suspected him," my dad said in a matter-of-fact voice. "When I interview people, as a police officer, we look for certain body language that can really help, especially in a case like this.

"I've known Robbie for a while, and the way he was acting, as your friends pointed out, was certainly not in the ordinary, but interestingly, it wasn't for the worse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that he's just acting like a kid who's pretty much lost his best friend. He really liked Cat, it's no secret, and she never really returned his affections, did she? How would you act if your crush just died and you never knew if they really liked you in the same way back?"

"Hmm, I guess that's a different way at looking at it. He just…seemed so guilty…we overlooked it, I suppose."

"Well, that's _my _theory on what's happened. You never know, you kids might actually be right. But I hope it's not."

"Yeah," I agreed softly, "I certainly hope not."

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**DUN. DUN. DUUUNNN. Did what I think just happened really happen? Aw, crap! XD**


	20. That's What it Stands For

**Are you all ready to have your minds blown? Because this is THE chapter where everything starts falling into place! Oh god, you guys have no idea how long I've been waiting to write/for you to read this.**

**To teezee-Cat bought a new diary when she moved into the apartment...and you'll find out several reasons why in this chapter and the next :O  
To Blondielov2U-That's cool you got a puppy. I have a dog too and he's really adorable but really annoying sometimes haha :D**

**And also to: EmmaRose58, sloth13 and NeonLovesYou, thanks for your reviews!**

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CHAPTER 19  
Tori's POV

It had been one week since Robbie was sent to the police station.

And just yesterday he had gotten out.

We were right; it was a false charge and the evidence wasn't strong enough to keep him there for however long his sentence might've been. But apparently now he'd been properly fingerprinted and had all sorts of samples taken from his body in case he needed to be tracked down again. And the police would always be watching him until the investigation was closed.

"Man, Robbie, you are one _seriously _lucky guy," André congratulated, patting him on the back. Everyone was at my house and we were having a small celebration for Robbie's release.

"Yeah," Robbie echoed, taking a sip from his plastic red cup.

"So what's it jail like? Is it true that you have to share a space with like, a murderer or something?" Jade asked, too late realizing the choice of words that had spilled from her mouth.

"If you mean sharing a space with myself then yes." Robbie rolled his eyes.

"But…you didn't really kill Cat, did you?" Beck asked, looking slightly panicked.

"No. How many times do I have to say it?" Robbie got up, standing uncomfortably by the fireplace like he was going to leave. "Why…why do you guys keep thinking that I did it anyway?"

Jade exchanged an awkward glance with her boyfriend and André snuck a peek at me, a sheepish expression on his face.

Finally, Jade said, "Well, you weren't acting very 'Robbie-like' the few weeks after Cat first got attacked. Especially since you kept avoiding everyone and hiding. It made it seem like you were, guilty or something."

Beck, André and I nodded in agreement, not feeling like adding to the discussion, because honestly, that was pretty much just the gist of it.

"I…really liked Cat. I pretty much spelled it out for her but I still don't think she got the point," Robbie kicked the air, his free hand knotting in his hair, looking frustrated. I felt really bad for him as he poured out his feelings for his now dead crush.

"Just seeing her every day, she was such a bundle of joy to be around. She made me really happy." I looked up and saw tears in his eyes. "And knowing that she wasn't understanding my actions…wasn't reacting to them…well, it didn't feel very nice."

Jade was holding on to Beck's hand, and I knew that she could relate to Robbie. For the first time ever, probably. Here she was with someone she loved, and had been acknowledged with it in a warm embrace. Robbie never had that sort of luck.

"In all truth, it did make me want to hurt something. Someone. Fortunately, I'm too cowardly to pick up a knife even to save a life, let alone end one. And then, when she died…I guess a part of me died inside too. I would never get to know if she really liked me back or not. Never get a chance to hold her hand, kiss her on the cheek, tell her that I loved her. It's all gone. All because of some crazy idiot."

I walked over and patted his arm as he wiped away the flowing tears. André was gazing at us kindly, and Beck was squirming uncomfortably, Jade shooting him a tense look.

"You can be sure that this 'crazy idiot' pays for what he's done. To all of us." Jade stood up, glancing around. "We have leads. We have clues. Now all we need to do is put two and two together, and we'll get an answer. Hopefully."

"Thanks, Jade," Robbie sniffled.

"Don't thank me yet. We've barely figured out anything, in my opinion."

"Hey," I said, "when's the next time we can go the apartment? We still need to check out that journal I found in Cat's room."

"So soon?" Beck sounded skeptical. "I'm not sure. Does anyone know if they've amped up the security because of…um…Robbie's arrest? No offense."

"None taken," Robbie sighed.

"Maybe not," André replied. "But yeah, I agree with Beck. We have been going there quite a lot, and we don't want to have to keep getting through that Derek doorman guy. He may be annoying and self-centered, but I don't think he's stupid enough to realize that every time we go there the Valentines aren't."

"Then when are we going to check out the journal? It could hold some really important information or something you know," I persisted. "And like they always say, 'Third time's the charm,' right?"

"'Third time's the—' wow, Vega. Just…wow." Jade was shaking her head in mock sorrow. "Well, as long as we don't attract any more cops, I _guess _we can go. But this will be the last time, okay? I don't want to spend half my life trying to find something that might not even exist, or we've already found and we just don't realize it."

"Yay! Thanks, Jade!" I couldn't contain my excitement. She was the leader of this whole operation after all, and now even I had gained her approval. Running over and jumping on top of her, my arms flinging around her neck, and I hugged her as tightly as I could.

You could feel the awkward in the air, and the boys were snickering as I choked her. She wasn't even returning the hug, just standing there like an idiot with me clinging on for life.

"Yes, yes, you're welcome. Now get off of me before I change my mind," she said in a tight voice. Laughing, I got off, but stopped when I saw that her face was scarlet and she looked very upset.

"Lighten up, Jade," Beck smiled, nudging her, and she took a deep breath, the pale in her cheeks returning.

André stepped forward with his drink cup, raising it high in the air. "To Robbie's release, and hopes that we find what we're looking for in Cat's apartment," he said solemnly.

We picked up our own glasses and had a toast, crossing our fingers that we would find something helpful.

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Jade's POV

"All right, Vega. Show me where the journal is, and I'll have it open in a snap," I ordered the girl. We were already inside the apartment, having completely avoided Derek with some new stealthy tactics that we would be using from now on if we ever had to come back—which I was certainly not planning on. This time it was André down in the lobby, keeping an eye out for the Valentines. I knew it was only going to be so long before our luck ran out and they came home early one day.

"It's right over here." Tori dragged me into Cat's bedroom, a place that I didn't really want to be in at the moment. The memories of her last assault flooded my mind, but I pushed them aside as Tori went to the dresser and took out a thick pink notebook. "This is it."

I took it, noting, "It's really light."

"Yeah," Vega nodded.

"Well, let's find out what's inside, shall we?" I twirled the ring of keys in my hand, knowing that the last one had to unlock this, or if not, something else. I'd already discovered the purpose of the other two, but I still hadn't told anyone about the pills in the medicine cabinet.

Thankfully, the lock sprang open, and I slipped it off eagerly, Vega coming forward and opening the journal.

But instead of being filled with a stapled stack of paper, scribbled on over and over with someone's life story, it had a rectangular hollow hole carved in the middle, in which was holding a small envelope.

"This is a journal?" Vega asked curiously, taking out the contents and leaving me with the so-called memoir. I flipped it over in my hands, trying to find if there was any more secret compartments, or if it could actually be used as someplace to log down thoughts, but there was nothing.

"Is there anything written on the envelope?" I asked. "Or inside?"

"Yep. It says 'Robbie Shapiro.'"

My head perked up as Tori brought the packet up to her ear and shook it, and I could hear something small sliding around on the inside.

"No way."

"Yeah! Look." Tori pointed to the front of it, and she was right. Sure enough, in what was a handwriting I would recognize _anywhere_, the letters were spelled out in our friend's name.

"Go get him then."

Tori ran out the door, almost screaming for Robbie. I heard Beck asking what the problem was, but she ignored him, pulling Robbie into the room. I looked up from my spot on the floor, and found that his eyes were closed shut, like he was afraid of what he might see.

"Hey, Rob. Open your eyes and get a load of this," I told him.

Hesitantly, he cracked one eye open and saw that I was holding the envelope, holding the side with his name on it towards his body. Robbie dropped to his knees, reaching out and taking it from me calmly, his hands shaking.

"W-Wh-Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Found it in Cat's 'journal,'" Tori informed him, sitting down next to me, crossing her legs on top of each other in some weird meditation pose.

Robbie gulped noticeably; I think he was trying not to cry again. Slowly, he slid his finger into one corner and ripped it across the top, trying to be as gentle as possible. I was getting extremely impatient, but I forced myself to control my temper.

Turning the envelope upside down, a piece of folded paper fell out, and something else which I couldn't distinguish at first. Ignoring the letter, Robbie picked up the unknown object and held it up so we could see it properly.

It was a necklace; a thin black cord with a dark green nut bolt hanging right in the middle.

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André's POV

Being in the lobby of Gladiolus Gardens wasn't actually as bad as I originally thought. Derek had fallen asleep behind the main desk, which was a good thing since we hadn't exactly registered in yet. I had been playing with my PearPhone for the past few minutes, holding the notebook Tori had given me before she went up with the others. But now I was bored, so I went through it.

I opened it past the cover, and flipped through briefly, taking a short glance. The entire thing was pretty much empty, except the first page. I turned back to the beginning to see what she had written.

_Cat Valentine (now deceased)  
__-Formerly lived in a house (now destroyed)  
__-New apartment number is K-5  
__-Father, mother, older brother_

_Clues (given by Cat herself)  
__-The word 'iller' (maybe indicates to a miller?)  
__-Three keys (unlocks apartment, xxx?)_

_Clues (we assume)  
__-Robbie Shapiro (now innocent)  
__-Hollywood Arsonist (burned down her house, turned on stove after last meet, burning picture found in graveyard)_

_ Oh, so she's keeping like a record of what's happened. That's actually a pretty smart idea_, I thought, closing the notebook again and resting my head back on the dusty couch.

Suddenly, and idea popped into my head. I wrenched it open, folding it back so the Cat Valentine information and clues were on top, looking right back at me. I reached forward and picked up a pen from the cup on the cracked coffee table, and tore out a new sheet of paper to write on.

There was something very familiar about the word 'iller.'

_Why didn't we see it before_?

Tori was wrong about it pointing towards a 'miller,' whatever the heck that was.

I was almost one hundred percent sure it had something to do with a killer.

_But why would Cat give Tori the word iller and not include the K? It just doesn't make sense_. Sighing, I closed back up the notebook, thinking hard.

And then it struck me.

I snatched up the blank paper, having to scribble to get the ancient pen working before writing down the word iller in big, bold letters, evenly spaced out. Underneath, I wrote the apartment number K-5.

** ILLER  
****K-5**

I did some instant math in my head and quickly erased everything but the letter K and the dash, inserting five blank lines instead.

**K-xxxxx**

My brain was reeling, my fingers shaking as I wrote in the remaining word.

**K-****I****L****L****E****R**

I almost stood up and started dancing with joy at what I had discovered. This was some extremely crucial information everyone else needed to know about. Scooping up things and looking as not to leave anything behind, I snuck past the snoozing Derek and ran towards the elevators. When the doors opened I hurried inside, pushing the correct buttons as hard as I could in hopes to make the machine move faster.

It felt like an eternity flying up to the fifth floor. As soon as the gates opened, I was out in a flash, banging hard on the apartment door with my free fist and elbow. Just seeing the gold-lettered words 'K-5' engraved on the wood surface burned into my mind.

Killer.

Killer.

Killer.

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**Ha ha! See? Cat's apartment number wasn't just something I made up that had no significance or importance whatsoever! And neither was the word 'iller!' Oh, I love foreshadowing...**

**And Robbie's necklace? I've actually mentioned it way beforehand somewhere in this story...but do you remember where?**

**I hope you all enjoyed it. Thoughts?**


	21. Hacking Can be Dangerous

**So I know Trina has been pretty much excluded from this entire story so far, but she's here now so...problem solved! XD**

**Aren't you all glad that my grandma doesn't have Internet so I can't get distracted while writing new chapters for you guys?**

**To NeonLovesYou-yes you are correct ;)  
And also thanks again to teezee!**

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CHAPTER 20  
Jade's POV

The necklace bared an extreme resemblance to the one Beck and I had (or used to have), except that this was a green color, which I honestly thought looked a lot nicer than gold. It fit my personality better, you know?

Robbie continued staring at the piece of jewelry like it was cursed or something. Then slowly, he picked up the paper, Tori stiffening as it crinkled when he unfolded it.

"Do you guys want me to read it out loud?" he asked.

"No, you don't have to. It's addressed to you, you can do whatever you want," which was an odd thing for me to stay but I wanted to be as respectful as possible.

"But you guys found it. You deserve to know what it says."

"Whatever you want." I just wasn't in the mood to watch him break down three words into whatever Cat had written, because lately I've found that it's really awkward watching other people cry. Yeah, and that's coming from me.

"'Dear Robbie,'" he said, and I was right. He seized a sharp intake of breath and blinked madly, clearing his throat pathetically and continuing, "'If you're reading this then that probably means I'm dead because otherwise I wouldn't have given anyone the key to unlocking it.'"

_Wow…talk about extreme planning__. Is this even possible to do or did her ghost come by and write this_?

"'But I'm writing this for a reason. It's about your feelings for me. I know you liked me, Robbie. A lot. And I liked you back too. I wish I could tell you in person instead of having to write it down here, but I'm not really alive anymore so I don't have a choice.

"'I know you felt really hurt and unwanted because I didn't return the same emotions to you. I did it to protect you. Because I know someone…who has a problem…and if they ever saw me with you they'd freak and I don't want you getting hurt over me.

"'Don't think that because I'm gone that I'll stop liking—loving you. I'm watching you right now as you read this and…'" Robbie stopped, looking up and around the room as if his crush was really here. I smiled and he finished the heartbreaking letter.

"'And I'll always be with you. In your heart. But not physically because that would be impossible and you would probably die too. Hee hee. But I'll be with you emotionally and mentally. Yeah, that sounds better. Hopefully I gave you enough clues to figure out who my killer is. I don't want to tell you directly because that would be too dangerous. Sometimes it's better to receive the truth in little portions rather than all at once.

"'If you ever get stuck, well, that necklace is a pretty big hint. And let Tori, André, Beck and Jade know that I love them all too. Cat.'"

Robbie's eyes were watering, drips splattering the paper. I took it out of his hands, folding it and putting it behind me to keep it safe. He picked up the necklace, fingering the green pendent. _Cat had said that was another clue, didn't she_? Slowly, he brought it up and fastened it around his neck.

"That looks really nice," Tori sighed, rubbing her eyes.

Robbie kept touching the bolt as if he could find a secret switch or hidden compartment, but finally he tucked it away behind his shirt collar.

"So in the letter Cat said that there's someone she knows that has…a problem? Could that indicate to her killer? I mean, who knows _when _she wrote this, but I think that it could be similar," I wondered. "And what about the necklace being a—"

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

I jumped up, staring at the open bedroom door, fear taking over my body. Tori and Robbie were frozen on the ground, unable to process what was happening.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

_Well, that can't be the Valentines, otherwise they would've just unlocked the door and come in already_.

"Hey, y'all! Open up quick! It's André!" I heard Beck shuffling over and letting André in. "I need everyone out here right now!" André continued yelling loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

"Keep your voice down!" I hissed, dragging Tori and Robbie out of the bedroom behind me.

"What's wrong?" Beck asked.

"I figured out what the word iller means," André said breathlessly, holding up Tori's notebook. Everyone gasped and gaped at him.

"What does it mean?" I yelled, not wanting to wait for anything.

"K-5," André panted, "the apartment number." He opened it up and took out a heavily scribbled on piece of paper. "Take out the number and pretend to put five blank spaces instead. The word iller has five letters. Put 'em in and what do you get?"

"Killer," I read slowly as he showed us his notes."So that means…"

"Cat's killer lives in this apartment," Tori finished for me, taking the entire notebook back from André. "See? Did I not tell you guys that we were going to learn something new when we came back for the third time?"

But I was already thinking; the gears in my head clicking and turning like a clock. "We need to find out as much of the Valentine family as possible, okay you guys? Tori—try and see if you can hack your dad's laptop or something and get your hands on some those confidential profiles the police have."

Tori looked shocked, her face going from a happy blush to a deathly pale. "Y-y-you want me to h-h-hack my dad's computer?"

"Yes," I said without another glance. "Why not, Vega? This could determine the true identity of who murdered Cat. Surely you'll risk getting caught and possibly arrested for her, right?"

"No…well…yes?" Vega sounded like she was asking _me _a question.

"It doesn't matter," Beck cut us off. "The thing is that we're all working together now and we have to keep doing that if we want to come to a conclusion before it's too late. So all of us will do our part in learning about Cat's immediate family. All right?" He looked directly at me.

I decided to move the attention somewhere else uncomfortably. "Robbie, why don't you tell the guys what you just discovered in the bedroom?"

Robbie pulled the pendant out from his shirt collar, showing it off to Beck and André. They awed at it, and I could tell Beck also recognized that it looked similar to the one he had given me but I'd now lost.

"We found this inside Cat's journal, along with a letter she wrote to me." Robbie pulled it out of his pocket slowly, like he was afraid to tear it. "She told me that she really like me," he said, beaming. "And gave me this as another clue…and also to remember her, I guess."

"Wow…that's….that's something else," André commented.

"Let's get out of here, since there's no one downstairs watching. Remember, do what we told you. Or else: we ain't getting nowhere with this case."

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"Hey, Trina! Trina!"

The older Vega sister spun around, highlighted hair bouncing by her shoulders. She caught my eye and I motioned her over, which she came hesitantly, three-inch heels clicking against the floor with each step.

"Um, hi, Jade. If you don't mind I actually need to go—"

"Listen to me. I don't want to be talking to you as much as you don't want to be listening. But this is important. You hearing me?" I asked urgently.

"Sure." She didn't sound convinced.

"Okay, well, I need you to help your sister hack your dad's laptop for me," I explained, reaching around into my messenger bag and riffling through the contents of it.

"You want me to what?"

"Yeah, you heard me." I pulled out a small silver USB stick. "Put this into your dad's laptop. It's Sinjin's little hacker device thing, I don't know. Once it's in, it'll search through all of the files and collect the information I need."

"Why do you need some information on a policeman's laptop? Are you planning on doing something illegal?" Trina's voice rose two octaves, and I tried to shush her down.

"It's for Cat. Yeah, remember her?"

"Of course." Trina looked hurt that I thought she wouldn't.

"Well, we need some info on her family members, and we figured what better way to get in than from your dad's computer, especially since he's the police officer who's also working on Cat's case."

"We? Who's we?"

_Oh god__. Can the girl _not_ ask so many questions_?

"I'll give you fifty bucks if you'll just help Tori put this USB into your dad's laptop and get the files." I took the crisp bill out of my pocket, waving it in front of her nose, as much as I didn't want to give it to her.

"Deal." She snatched the money and Sinjin's drive from my hands.

"Good. Remember, don't say anything to anyone."

"I promise." She sealed her lips with an invisible key.

"You better."

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Tori's POV

"Trina, do you have the USB drive Jade gave you?" I hissed into my sister's bedroom. I still don't understand why Jade just didn't give it to me herself, because one, she could've saved fifty bucks and two, did we really need any more people on this project?

"Yeah here." She tossed it towards me, leaning in to the mirror and dabbing more lip gloss on her mouth.

"Wait…you're supposed to help me, right?"

"I don't know. Sure, I guess." Trina stood up, pushing past me out the door and going into the bathroom. "It might cost you a little extra, though."

"Jade gave you fifty dollars. That should be fine!" I argued as she came back with a hair dryer and hooked it up to the wall, turning it on and blowing her luscious, _already-dry _mane with it.

"Eh. This is a pretty risky job, Tori."

"Oh, trust me. Jade's asked of more-illegal things from people."

"I don't know still…" she sounded truthfully doubtful.

"Come on," I sighed, pulling out the excuse that _everyone _was using nowadays, "do it for Cat."

Trina's eyes clouded over, something I've never even seen happen to her before. "Fine," she said finally. "But we go at midnight. And we'll do it outside in my car. I need to start rehearsing for the next showcase, and the last thing I need is getting arrested."

I smiled and left her in peace.

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I stayed up waiting for Dad to go to bed. Just like Trina had predicted, it was about midnight when he went upstairs. When I was sure he was gone, I took the USB and ran down to his office, hoping he hadn't locked it, because I didn't have any keys or anything, and I didn't know how to pick locks with paperclips.

Luckily it wasn't, and I found his laptop sitting on his desk. Scooping it up, and ran to the front door and went out onto the driveway. I found Trina already in her car by the curb, playing some annoyingly loud music.

"Trina!" I yelled in a whisper running up to the vehicle, "Turn the music down! You'll wake up the whole neighborhood!"

"Relax, Tori," Trina blew me off as I got into the shotgun seat. She lowered the stereo sounds by about two bars of volume. "Better?"

"No."

"Geez, you need to calm down." She turned it down another bar.

"_Just turn it off completely_!" I said hysterically. I was getting really freaked out that someone would find us trying to hack a police officer's laptop, and I'm sure the penalty for that wasn't going to be easy.

"Let's do this quick, then. I have better things to be doing."

I flipped the top of the laptop open and was greeted by the blue screen that asked for a username and password. _Aw crap_.

"Do you know Dad's user or password?" I asked, really starting to panic at this point.

"No. Why would I?" Trina started putting on some lip gloss that she kept in the glove compartment.

"Then what do I do?"

"Just put the USB in and see if it activates."

"Okay." I found the correct slot and shoved the silver fastened end of the device into the hole. Bouncing my leg up and down anxiously, I crossed everything that I had in hopes that Sinjin had programmed it to get past the fancy security my dad had come up with.

It did.

I didn't even need to touch anything as a black screen popped up and all sorts of formulas were typed out as it cracked the pass code and username. Within seconds, I was in.

Dad's desktop background was simply a picture of our family on our most recent trip to Hawaii. It wasn't a very nice one unfortunately, because Trina had pushed me out to make room for an all-out pose and I appeared blurry, and Mom and Dad both had similar reactions of shock, and we never bothered to do a retake.

Sinjin's hacking device was going to work. The black screen with green words was moving faster than ever as it went through the all of the stored files. I felt so sick doing this. It was so wrong.

And then after about two minutes, the black screen disappeared and I safely removed the USB, storing it in my pajama pants pocket.

"Are you done?" Trina asked.

"Yes, and thanks _so much_ for your help, sis," I replied.

"Anytime."

THUD.

There was the sharp noise of something landing on the head of the car.

"Did you hear that?" I asked Trina, slowly closing the laptop and putting my hand on the door handle.

"Yeah it kind of sounded like—"

Suddenly, the front of the car exploded into flames.

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**CLIFFHANGER. AGAIN. SORRY.**

**Maybe. Review?**

**Okay I'm going to stop typing like that. **


	22. After Us

**Aw man you guys are so AMAZING. So here's an early update for y'all!**

**Thank you to: teezee, EmmaRose58, NeonLovesYou, Blondielov2U and sloth13. And especially to Jadiee for every single one of those reviews you gave me last night. They are all very appreciated. :)**

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CHAPTER 21  
Tori's POV

"GET OUT OF THE CAR!" I screamed to Trina. In her haste, Trina accidently locked the car doors, and the terror bubbled inside of me. Fumbling to release the spring, I pushed the door open with my feet and tumbled out onto the grass, still clutching the precious laptop.

But Trina was still inside, unaware that she had gotten herself stuck inside.

"Trina!" I shouted, running around the car to the other side. The flames were melting into the paint, licking up against the windshield and Trina leaned back in her seat, screaming for life. "Unlock the doors! Trina, listen to me!"

I laid the laptop down on the ground, sliding it far away and hoping that no one would come by and steal it or run it over. Grasping the handle with both hands, I yanked backwards as hard as I could, trying to open it or knock something loose, but it wasn't working.

"Crawl out to the other side!" I ordered, pointing frantically at where I had managed to escape.

Trina was coughing and screaming even more as she clambered into the passenger seat. The windshield cracked with a tremendous sound; pieces shattering onto the dashboard and my sister. The flames were literally roaring in the air, traveling down towards the side mirrors and the doors.

I hurried over and grabbed Trina's hand, tugging out the rest of her body and landing back on the soft lawn just as the entire front caught ablaze.

"What's going on—HOLY CHIZ!" someone familiar yelled.

I looked up and saw my dad standing in the driveway, looking at the fire that stood out sharply in the midnight glow of the day.

"Dad!" Trina gasped, crawling farther up and away from the conflagration.

_Oh shoot, where's the laptop_? Sure Trina's car had just caught on fire for what seemed no apparent reason, but if Dad came by and saw that his laptop was out here, I might as well just throw myself back into the automobile and burn to death.

Dad ran to get the garden hose in the front yard, cranking it up full volume and releasing the spray of freezing water onto Trina's car, where it was met by a loud hiss, the flames trying to fight back.

"Don't go near the car, Tori!" he shouted as I snaked towards it.

But I didn't listen. And anyway, the fire was already dying down as the liquid drenched it over and over. I scooped the laptop off of the cold asphalt, lifting up my shirt and tucking it into the back waistband of my pants, hoping that it didn't fall through or leave a noticeable bulge.

I raced back to the house, where Trina had completely broken down on the front porch, and my mom had come out and started to comfort her. The fire had been fully extinguished, and Dad was going in for a closer inspection.

"Tori! Are you okay?" my mom pestered as soon as she saw me. "Come here."

"Hold on, Mom. I need to go to the bathroom. I think I just got some smoke in my hair, but I feel perfectly fine otherwise," I said, trying to get past her so I could put the laptop away.

"Well, get back out here as soon as you're done. No excuses."

"Sure."

Feeling like I had just won the lottery, I raced into my dad's office, placing the still-in-perfect-condition laptop down on his desk in the exact way I had left it. I patted my pocket, hoping to feel the rectangular-shaped USB, but there was nothing. Frantically, I stuffed my hands into both pockets, and found that it was not there anymore.

_Oh shoot__! Jade's going to kill me for sure_.

I kept searching for a few more seconds, until it became evident that I just didn't have the device any more. Shaking my head and trying to remain calm, I returned back outside and pretended to have gotten rid of the smoke from my head.

"What are you girls doing outside at twelve at night?" my dad questioned as he came up to us, his PearPhone pressed against his ear. "Do you know that there are a lot of crazy people who come out at this time of—"

"I'm sorry, Dad," I interrupted, giving him a big hug. "I thought I left one of my notebooks in Trina's car, so I went down with her to get in but then the car just exploded into flames all of a sudden."

"Yep. With this." My dad held up a small capsule broken in two. "I've already got the other police coming down to check this out. Judging from the damage on the car, this thing broke open and spread some sort of highly flammable material on the front, causing it to burst completely into flames on first contact with any sort of fire."

"Oh."

"But I'm just very glad you girls are okay." He hugged me back, and even gave Trina a small pat on her head.

Just then, the flashing police vehicles arrived. Dad's partner-in-crime Gary came over, all dressed up and raising an eyebrow at Dad's night wear.

"Hey, David. What seems to be the problem?" Gary asked. I noticed him look at Mom and give her a little wink, but Dad was too absorbed in talking about the capsule he was holding to notice.

"This. Just set my daughter's car on fire with both of them in it." Dad grabbed Gary's elbow and led him away so they could talk in private.

"Okay girls, you both go inside. I think you're fine. I'll speak to Dad and Gary about what's going on." Feeling slightly awkward, I motioned Trina inside the house, closing the door firmly behind us.

"I'm never doing anything like that with you again," she said, rushing up to her bedroom. "Now my car is wrecked and it's all your fault!"

"How is it _my _fault? I was in the car with you!"

But there was no use in arguing as Trina shut the door loudly behind her. I sighed and trudged up to my bedroom. Fortunately, I had the room in the front of the house, and I looked out the window, seeing the figures gathered on the driveway, heads bowed and talking softly.

I opened the window a peek and tried to see if I could listen for any important information to give Jade to make up for me losing Sinjin's USB drive.

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"What do you mean 'you _lost _it?'" Jade's tone was furious enough to make me crouch down in terror.

"Yes, I'm sorry!" I shouted back.

"How can you possibly lose it, Vega? Do you not realize that everything we want to know and possibly more could've been located on that drive!" Jade slammed her fist on the tool cabinet in the janitor's closet. I had dragged her in here to tell her the bad news as well as a few other things that I had learned, but maybe that was not a very good idea seeing the way she was reacting.

"I had to pay Sinjin two hundred dollars to get him to program that thing. _And _I had to give your sister fifty bucks so she would help you hack it!" Jade whined, looking really saddened and upset at the loss of her money.

"Well, maybe next time you shouldn't give Trina anything because she didn't help me _at all_!"

Jade looked like she was about to strangle me to death, but I held my own.

"And anyway, you want to know why I lost it?" I continued.

"Yeah, Vega, I'm not really interested in hearing any of your excuses any more. You're cut from this project—"

"Listen to me!" I shouted, grabbing her wrists and forcing her to look me in the eye. "Right after I had downloaded all the files, something small hit the front of car. At first we didn't know what it was, but then suddenly the entire thing just caught on fire. Like that." I snapped my fingers right in her face.

"And?"

"I think I dropped the USB getting out or something, but that's not the point. I overheard my dad and his partner talking about it right afterwards, and my dad is really upset now because of what he found that apparently indicated to how the front of Trina's car caught on fire all of a sudden.

"It was this capsule thing that sprayed something all over, some sort of chemical that was extremely flammable. My dad it really worried because he thinks it's the same stuff that the Hollywood Arsonist, a.k.a. the person who we think killed Cat, used to burn down buildings.

"So now he's all freaking out because he thinks the arsonist is after his kids, thank you very much."

Jade tilted her head like a dog and said, "You're welcome."

"I'm serious, Jade. What if they really are, and they know that we've been getting to the point of being able to figure out who it is? This isn't funny Jade. They might report us, or even worse, try to kill us."

"You worry a lot, Vega." Jade sounded vague and like she was mentally in another place. I don't think she understood my point at all.

"They could come after you too. If they know where I live and what part I'm playing in trying to solve Cat's case, then I'm going to make the assumption that they know who you are too and what you're doing."

"Should I be worried?"

I wanted to smack her so bad. I was trying to help her, to warn her that someone might have been watching what we've been doing in the Valentine apartment, and she was taking it like a joke.

"No, Jade. Don't be worried. You're the leader here, and you take all responsibility, right? So if one of us gets seriously hurt in a mysterious house fire or even killed, it's all going to be because of you, you know that?" I stormed out of the closet, purposely bumping her shoulder into the door as hard as I could.

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Jade's POV

I hissed when Tori pretty much smashed me into the wooden door frame in her upset haste to get away from me. "Ouch," I mumbled, shooting her retreating back an angry glare. I rubbed my sore arm and picked up my bag, stepping out and running in to Beck and André, almost like they had been standing there and waiting the entire time.

"Hey, Jade," André said, smiling goofily. "What went up with you and Tori? She didn't look too happy." _So they were waiting here for us_.

"Eh, she's always like that," I waved him off as Beck kissed me on the lips gently. André cleared his throat uncomfortably. After we broke apart, I said, "So have you guys been trying to learn things about Cat's family? Because Tori's little mission I had for her didn't go too well."

"So we heard. You really should be careful too, Jade. Sometimes you act like what we're doing is a joke," André replied uneasily like he was afraid to tell me the truth.

"Does it look like I'm joking when I ask you to find out more of Cat's family?" I gave him my best Jade-face. André backed up a few feet, looking scared.

"No."

"Speaking of Cat's family, what are you two going to be doing, since Tori's obviously 'done' her part," Beck intervened, looking at each of our faces hopefully.

"Later Robbie and I are going to go check out both of her parents' workplaces," André informed.

"What about you, babe?"

"Trust me. I've got something in mind." He gave me a consoling hug, his chin resting on the top of my head, making me feel a lot shorter than I really was.

"Same here. I've got my own ideas too."

There was an awkward pause.

"Well, I'll see you guys later, then. I need to find Robbie so we can get started," André said as he left down the hall. Beck still hadn't let go of me, his hot breath tickling my head. I wanted to tell him that he could let go, but I was enjoying it too much to.

"In a few weeks we will have found out the answer, and then we can stop worrying so much, okay?" he comforted.

_That's not the first time I've heard that_.

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**Ba-bam! Hope you enjoyed it.**

**And hey...I just realized...you guys get to find out who killed Cat next chapter (for real this time)! You excited for that? Yes. I know you are. :)**


	23. Can't Believe It

**Here we go! The real identity of Cat's murderer! I'm sorry if it comes really suddenly (the way it's discovered) but I didn't want to drag it out any longer and stuff, you know? If you're really upset and stuff about it though, just come and talk to me. **

**Anddd I have been putting out many clues that points to that person...I'm sure once you know who it is it'll become more obvious. :) Once again, if you don't understand it fully, leave me a review or P.M. and I will be glad to clarify things for you. Or you can just wait for the next chapter. };)**

**Special thanks to: Ameha Kay, teezee, sloth13, Jadiee, NeonLovesYou and Jeremy Shane. Thanks you guys!**

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CHAPTER 22  
Jade's POV

I was back at Gladiolus Gardens, this time by myself, waiting outside the apartment we had visited so many times before. Knocking on the door several times, I waited for someone to answer, knowing that if no one did, I'd just turn right around and head home. There was no need to break in this time.

Luckily, the door swung open, and I saw the mousy hair of Mrs. Valentine poking out.

"Hello? Oh, look! How's it going, Jade dear? Come on in, don't just stand there!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Valentine," I replied as polite fully as possible as she admitted me into the dwelling. Everything seemed to be nice and neat as usual. The bedroom and bathroom doors were closed, and there were food products scattered around the kitchen area.

"Would you like something to eat or drink, Jade?" Mrs. Valentine asked me, going over to the sink and filling a big pot with water before setting it on the stove to boil.

"Um, no, I'm fine, thanks," I replied, sitting down on one of the couches and placing my purse by my feet, keeping my PearPhone in my hands.

"Are you sure? It's no big deal, really. Randy—my husband—has gone off to do some job interviews, can you believe it?" She smiled at me from behind the counter, tossing dirtied utensils into the sink. "Lately he's been getting tired of working night shifts at the bar since it gives him very little family time, and especially after what happened with Cat…" I looked up and saw her tired eyes filled with grief for her departed daughter.

Still watching her, I expertly turned my phone on without looking and opened the recording audio app, flipping it upside-down, probably muffling the volume but it would be less risky.

"So, what's going on with you? Things going okay with your dad still?" Mrs. Valentine brought over a tray of cups and a teapot. Geez, it was like I was in some sort of fancy-shmancy English restaurant. She sat down in a leather chair across from me.

"If you mean being ignored like usual, then yeah, we're doing great."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you want some tea?" I shook my head and she proceeded to pour a cup for herself.

"You get used to it. That's what life's all about, right? Adapting to your surroundings if you want to survive," I said, folding my hands in front of me and looking down at my palms.

"Mhmm."

"Just like you and your family have adapted to not having Cat around."

"Pardon?" Mrs. Valentine looked like she was about to choke on her tea.

"No, no, it's no big deal. I'm just saying," I added hastily, but she didn't relax. "No matter how much you miss someone, if you want to get on with your life and live it to its full extent you have to stop looking back in the past and keep moving forward."

"It's very true," Mrs. Valentine agreed. "Unfortunately, it's easier said than done."

"Like most things."

"So I see you came to talk about my daughter?" Mrs. Valentine noticed the glint in my eyes and the tone of my voice. She had known me for _years_, and I was surprised it had been taking her this long. She was obviously thinking about something else, but what, I had no idea.

"Uh, sure. I don't know. Talking to my friends about her isn't the same as talking to someone who's known her longer than I have, such as you," I said modestly, forcing myself to blush to show how much I meant it.

"Yes. She was such an endearing person, if I do say so myself. I mean, being her mother, of course I would have a view like that on her, but I suppose you could say she was different in ways that no one else I knew was," Mrs. Valentine smiled at me thoughtfully.

"An example of that would be…?"

"She was always so _happy_. Nothing, and I mean _nothing _could keep her in a bad mood for more than two minutes. I liked that about her especially. She still acted like a little kid, even though she's in high school. It was as if she never wanted to grow up."

I scratched my eyebrow, rays of warmth filling my heart thinking about the fun times I had with Cat. She was a little ball of sun, bringing joy to even the crankiest people wherever she went.

"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional," I said softly.

"It sure is." Mrs. Valentine settled back in her seat, and I felt like I had actually come here to truly discuss Cat, not try and pry information on the DID pills I had originally planned on doing.

Finally, I decided to break the silence and go for the kill.

"So what do you think about what happened with Robbie? It must've been very conflicting for you," I said.

"It was, to be honest. I mean, I knew he really liked her—heck, everyone did. And when he got arrested, I couldn't believe it at first. Why in the world would he want to hurt our sweet Cat, his own crush? But now he's been released, which is obviously a very relieving thing, but it doesn't leave us any closer to finding who's behind the crime."

"I'm still wondering how they managed to convict him in the first place," I mused, trying to draw some new information out of her.

"Yeah. Me too. The police didn't really want to talk much to us about it, actually." Mrs. Valentine bit her lip and looked away.

_Okay then. A little weird, but never mind. I'll keep things moving along_.

"Is, uh, Raz here?" I asked, trying to change the topic of our conversation.

"Yes. Would you like to talk to—"

"No, no. I'm just wondering," I added quickly. "You know, back to the subject of Cat, I was wondering, because not only were her moods almost always happy…but she could get pretty upset really fast. Did she actually have like a bipolar disorder or something?"

"Well…"

"I'm sorry if it's getting a little personal. It's just something I've been sort of thinking about for a while. Not that I minded, that was easily one of her most amusing traits."

"No, that's just Cat for you." Mrs. Valentine's expression tightened up and her fingers curled around the teacup she was sipping from.

_So those pills I found in the cabinet aren't Cat's…then whose are they_?

"I mean, you'd _think_ that Cat would actually be bipolar, seeing as—" Mrs. Valentine continued, but just then, there was a loud crashing noise that came from Raz (and formerly Cat's) bedroom.

I jumped, not realizing how focused I had been in the conversation. Mrs. Valentine hurried to attend to him. _Dang it! I was so close to finding out what she was going to say about another possible family member_!

"Jade! Jade!" Mrs. Valentine called, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, but do you mind leaving? It's probably not safe for you stay here any longer. Raz! Put that down! You're getting glass everywhere!" There was some scuffling and more sounds of something shattering.

"Do you need some help, Mrs. Valentine?"

"No, dear! Just make sure you close the door completely behind you and it'll lock automatically. Thanks for coming over, and I apologize for it being so brief!"

Once I was out in the hall and sure that nobody could hear me, I stomped my way to the elevators like a little kid who didn't get what she wanted. I was so close, _so close_ to learning something new, and then Raz had to go and interrupt.

Entering the life, I pressed the first floor button and sighed deeply.

_This is all just a waste of time. We'll never be able to figure any of this out_.

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Beck's POV

I was in my RV by myself, on my PearBook searching through TheSlap. I had no ideas of what I was going to do help and learn more about Cat's family, but I knew I had to find something valuable to redeem myself.

After Robbie got arrested and seeing my friends blow up about the event, it really started to change my perspective on what I was really capable of.

Yeah, that's right.

I was the one who sent the picture of Mrs. Valentine's letter to the police.

I had taken Jade's phone when she accidently left in on a table in the apartment living room, and I texted the snapshot to the Los Angeles police station. But I truly didn't believe that it would be enough to actually convict Robbie and they would come down immediately and arrest him. Of course, I didn't think he was going to be let off the hook that easily either.

Needless to say, I needed to make up for it. I don't think anyone saw or knew about what I did, except for Tori, since she kept giving me weird looks that day once we were out of the apartment discussing what had just happened.

_But how can I possibly find more about Cat's family? _

I decided to go to her Slap page. The site had been updated and everyone now had one of those godforsaken timelines instead of the usual, more-simple approach, and a lot of people stopped using it because they thought it was stupid. I agreed, but I was not here to complain again. I was on a mission.

Browsing through the few of Cat's last-ever posts, it brought a small smile to my face. She had lots of picture up, and many with her family, not that I needed to know what they looked like. The information that I was looking for was something that wouldn't normally be represented in the form of a picture.

I continued scrolling down, realizing the 'mark your life events' feature might actually come really in handy right now. Cat had written down the date of her birth, and before that when her older brother was born. Followed by when her parents were married. Kind of odd, because it was a personal tool, and usually no one bothered to include anything past their coming into the world, but yeah, Cat was different.

_Randolph Seth Valentine marries Camilla Hailey Malone on July 23, 1993_

_Hold on…Mr. Valentine's full name is Randolph Seth? Why does_…

Oh.

My.

God.

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Mr. Valentine killed his own daughter?

How is that legal? Wait actually it's not...how is that _possible_?

Why would he want to do that? When you help bring such a wonderful person into the world, what kind of motive could you ever have to take them back out?

But yet, in all of turmoil my brain was being faced with, it made sense, in the weirdest and most unexpected ways. I had to tell the others. Immediately.

Just then, my phone started ringing. Scrambling over pillows, tangling myself in blankets and falling to the floor on my face, I grabbed the vibrating, ringing device and pressed 'talk.'

"What's up?"

"Beck! Can you come down here to Hollywood Arts? We're having another meeting." It was Tori and she sounded kind of panicked.

"Yeah yeah. That's a good idea. I have some pretty crazy stuff to tell you, actually."

"Just tell us when you get here."

I didn't even get to say good-bye or another word even because she hung up. The excitement inside of my body was reaching a boiling point, and I felt like I wouldn't be able to contain it for long if I didn't tell anyone else.

And then I started to get really paranoid.

If I died driving to school, then no one would know. I took out my phone and jotted down on the note app that Mr. Valentine killed Cat and for proof to check out Cat's timeline on TheSlap. Then I jogged outside to my truck and headed towards school.

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Tori's POV

André and Robbie were already here, and I could see Jade's car pulling into the parking lot. It was late in the evening and we were gathered here at school; I knew that most of them were not up to this kind of thing but the kinds of other things we did, I guess it was okay.

"This better be good, Vega," Jade said hostilely as she approached us.

"Yes. It will be," I replied confidently. All we had to do was wait for Beck, which wasn't long. His truck came in at an extremely high speed, and I thought he was going to run us over before he swerved at the last second and parked.

Jumping out of the door and running over to us, panting heavily, he said, "I…know…who killed…Cat."

"You do?" Jade's ears perked up, as did everyone else's.

"See? I told you it wasn't going to be such a waste," I rubbed it in. Then I turned to Beck, my eyes widening suddenly. "Wait…what? How did you figure it out? And who is it?"

"It's Mr. Valentine," Beck answered breathlessly.

"Whoa," André said.

"I knew it wasn't me," Robbie responded, smiling.

"How…how did you figure it out?" I needed to know. Now.

"I—"

"Hey, hold on," Jade interrupted, pulling us into a circle. "I think we all need to talk about every clue we've gotten, how they came together, the whole big deal. This is it, you guys. I think we've figured everything out. All we gotta do is make sure we're on the same page, which I know won't be easy since I'm sure _all _of you are hiding at least one thing, me included."

"Sounds good," we agreed eagerly.

"Okay. We'll start with who we think is the one and only killer. Beck, you go first."

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**So how many of you were expecting that? Yes? No? Hahaha...well even though we've figured out who it is, all the gang needs to do is get him arrested and thrown into jail? But how easy do you think that's going to be?**


	24. Caught in the Act

**'Fun' Fact: It took me about three hours to plan out this entire mystery and how all of the clues would work together. Yes, that's a very long time to sit in front of a computer hahaha. But as of now, it was _totally _worth it! :)**

**So if some of you were confused and stuff...maybe it gets cleared up here...or maybe not MWAHAHAHAHA. But don't worry. There's still a lot to cover, etc. so maybe you'll get it at some point. :)**

**I put some Jori in here because that's my other fav pairing.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you to: teezee, EmmaRose58, Ameha Kay, NeonLovesYou, sloth13, Jadiee, and every single review from keshafever. :D**

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CHAPTER 23  
Tori's POV

"I was at home surfing TheSlap, on Cat's account, just browsing through her timeline. Apparently she also put events up like when her brother was born, and her parents' marriage," Beck started.

"And?" Jade was behaving extremely impatiently.

"Well according to her page, the names of her parents are Randolph Seth and Camilla Hailey."

"Get to the point, Beck," Jade said, even though it was already clear, well at least to me.

"Her dad's initials could also be considered as RS."

No one made a sound as the realization hit us. Jade jumped right on top of Beck, wrapping her arms and legs around him in an extremely passionate and dramatic kiss-hug embrace, leaving him breathless and surprised.

"That's absolutely brilliant! Oh god, I love you so much right now."

"Thanks babe."

"So that must also mean that he's the Hollywood Arsonist, huh?" Robbie asked in a small voice, although his words were hostile in a way.

"I guess. What are the facts that back it up?" André turned to Jade and me.

"Well, if he _is _the killer, he does live in apartment K-5, so that would make sense," I said.

"Cat gave you three keys, right Jade? And they let us get into the apartment, unlock her journal for Robbie's necklace and letter, and the last one did what? Do you know?" Beck asked his girlfriend, who had gotten off of him and had her arm around his waist now.

"Yes. It opened a hidden panel in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Behind it was a bottle of pills for someone who has DID," Jade informed us simply.

"And you didn't tell us—"

"When you expected _us _to tell _you_ everything—"

"What the _heck _does DID stand for?"

Everyone was shooting their own questions and comments at our 'leader.'

"Whoa, hold on, one at a time. DID stands for dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder. And I'm sure you all already know the answer as to why I refuse to tell you everything at once." Jade frowned, but the glint in her eyes told me that she was only joking.

"So how could that possibly help in this case whatsoever?"

"Well, I went to talk to Mrs. Valentine and no, Cat's not the one who needs the pills," Jade continued. "So it's either her, her husband, or Raz, and honestly, it seriously could be any one of them."

"But I do agree with Beck. I think it's Mr. Valentine," I said.

"Back it up," André replied immediately.

"He has such a usually calm and nice personality, if he did kill Cat and _is _the arsonist then he has to have another side. There's no way he would do something like that in his 'normal' state of mind."

"Do we have any specific evidence that proves he has a love for setting things on fire?" André continued.

Well…I had nothing. But seeing the look on Jade's face, I knew she was going to come out with something she'd been hiding before.

"When Mr. Valentine sees fire…something weird happens to him."

"What kind of weird thing?"

"At Cat's funeral, I caught my dad trying to smoke a cigarette by the bathrooms. When Mr. and Mrs. Valentine came by, Mr. Valentine sort of went berserk and tried to knock it out of my dad's hands, and Mrs. Valentine had to take him away before he did anything stupider."

"Do you think it was because he was afraid of it or angry? Multiple personalities can develop from all sorts of different emotions," Robbie informed, like he was suddenly an expert in that field. He did have a puppet that he thought was a real human, of course _he _would know.

"I couldn't tell." Jade's expression never changed.

"Doesn't matter. Did you find out where he is right now?" Beck said.

"Mrs. Valentine says he's away doing a 'job interview.'"

"Then that's perfect! We can tell the police, show them our evidence, and they'll be able to capture him right as he gets back, before he has a chance to hurt anyone else." Beck looked extremely confident with himself.

"Okay. Vega, call your dad."

"On it." I had him on speed-dial and brought the phone up to my ear.

"You know, I can't believe we've figured it out, you guys. But it's not over yet, obviously. We can rest once that sicko is fully behind bars," Jade said brashly, for the first time looking pleased that she was friends with us.

"Hey, Dad!" I said relieved to hear his voice. "Yeah, you need to come down to Hollywood Arts right now. WE KNOW WHO KILLED—"

BOOM.

Everyone hit the asphalt at the same time, the sound shattering my eardrums. In my scare I sent my PearPhone spinning away, underneath someone's car. Beck was lying on top Jade, seeming to be protecting her although she didn't look too thrilled about the idea. Robbie had curled up into a ball, his hands covering the back of his neck and André kept a hand on my shoulder.

"What was _that_?" Jade complained, sitting up and grabbing onto Beck tightly for support.

"I don't know, it sounded like—"

Without warning, Robbie started screaming his head off, grabbing onto André and pointing around frantically.

"Robbie!" Jade yelled, actually covering her ears, "why are you—"

And just then, it seemed like the entire Hollywood Arts parking lot had caught on fire. There was a box of twelve foot tall flames rising up, and more seemed to following a trail headed straight for us like a fuse rope.

"Get up, get up, get up!" Beck hollered, pushing Jade away as some flames came right in between them. André grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back as the ground in front of me exploded into balls of hot energy, separating us from Beck and Jade.

"What's happening?" I yelled, crawling backwards and feeling Robbie's hand underneath mine. Looking up, I saw the terrified expression on his face, the dancing flares reflecting in his eyes.

"Hey, everybody, over here!" I heard André shouting over the roar as fire snaked _everywhere _in zigzag and diagonal patterns.

André was underneath the hanging by the café, waving anxiously and pointing to the wrought-iron fence behind him. I dragged Robbie up and we hurried over to him. Beck and Jade were forced to jump over the flames to get to us, but they looked unharmed for the most part.

"We have to climb to get out, or that fire's going to get to us first," André commanded. "Whoever gets to the other side first, call the fire station and police." He pushed me towards the fence before I had a chance to say anything.

The bars must've each been at least ten feet high and were far too slippery to get a footing, much less having notches to grab and climb. Trying to control the boiling panic on the inside, knowing that the fire was going to get closer and closer the longer I took, I grabbed two railings and jumped, slamming my feet onto the surface and leaning back.

Because my shoes had some traction, I slid down only a little, but my arms were already beginning to hurt from holding up my entire body. I moved my right appendages up at the same time, then the left, probably looking like some sort of disabled monkey but at least I was getting up.

Jade came up next to me, and whatever method of she was using was certainly getting her up a lot faster and more efficiently than mine. She reached the top before I did and hopped over, plummeting to the concrete ten feet below and landed firmly on her feet.

I finally got to the peak, just as André began his ascent.

"Wait…how am I supposed to get down now?" I asked, alarmed. My technique of getting up was probably not going to work in going back towards the ground.

"Just jump, Vega!" Jade called.

"But it's a really high up here!" I argued, my knuckles turning white and my arms shaking visibly.

"Yeah, you're right. It is."

"JADE!" _You are not helping and I am not in the mood for games_.

"Just jump. I'll catch you." She sounded almost whiny about it.

Why did I not trust her when she said that? There was solid concrete ten feet below, and if Jade 'missed' (on accident or purpose) I could reach the end of my lifespan right here. "I don't really trust you."

"Well, you're gonna have to!"

I looked behind me, maybe hoping that one of the boys could get over to do it instead, but André had gone back down to help Beck get the terrified Robbie up before the fire got to them first.

"Okay, so jump vertically in one…t—" Jade counted off, arms ready.

"THREE!" I screamed, not wanting to take things slow. Air rushed past my ears, and surprisingly true to her words, Jade caught me, her arms coming around my waist, jarring me upwards with the force.

"Wow, you must weigh like ninety pounds."

I growled as she set me down, and we both turned to watch the boys.

"Robbie, you have to start climbing! The fire's getting closer!" Beck pleaded as André tried to hoist his friend up to get a grip on the bars.

"I…I can't do it…" Robbie sobbed.

"André! Give me your phone!" I yelled.

He unceremoniously tossed the object towards me and since he wasn't looking where it was heading because he was too focused on Robbie and Beck, it hit me on the head and bounced off, but Jade caught it.

"Call the fire department," I sighed, rubbing my noggin.

"I know what to do," she shot back, fingers smashing against the screen and dialing 911. "Come on, come on, pick up already!" Turning to me she said, "Did you know the night I got into a car accident with Cat, I called 911 and they didn't pick up? Those lousy bas—Oh yes, hello. There's a crazy fire going on in the Hollywood Arts parking lot and it's completely out of control. Yes we need someone to come down and take care of it! You better hurry; some of our friends are still trapped in there!"

She hung up right away, muttering something about what a bad idea it was to have newbies answering the phones.

Robbie was now standing in between Beck and André, each of his feet in the palms of their hands and they lifted him up at the same time so he could grab the top and attempt to pull himself over.

"Yes, yes, you're almost there," Beck said, turning red with the effort of holding him up so high.

The boys practically threw him up and Robbie went flying much higher than necessary over the top, heading back down towards us. Jade was still messing with André's phone, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Jade!" we yelled simultaneously.

"Wha—OOF!" Robbie landed right on her and they both fell to the ground.

"Dang it." André and Beck hurried to scramble over the fence as the fire loomed dangerously close now, running back and forth along what had to be some sort of flammable trail.

"Hurry, you guys!" I encouraged as Jade cursed loudly while trying to push Robbie off of her. It looked like he had passed out upon impact.

André got to the top and helped Beck, and they jumped over together, just in time as the flames roared where we had all been standing previously, which would've trapped us in.

"Okay, so yeah…arsonist is after us after all…where are the police?" André breathed heavily.

"Coming," I assured.

Beck had gone over and helped Jade up, leaving the unconscious Robbie on the ground and gave her a quick kiss. My tongue poked the inside of my mouth and I looked away at the blazing world that was once the HA parking lot.

"Well…how are we going to explain what happ—"

"LOOK!" Jade screamed suddenly, pointing frantically across the street. There was someone dressed in dark colors running, and they stopped, turning around to see us before taking off even faster. "Guys, I think that's Mr. Valentine!"

Without another word, she took off after him, not even bothering to look both ways before crossing the street.

"Jade, wait!" Beck ran after her. André reached down to pick up Robbie, who suddenly grew awake and struggled in his grip, and we went after both of our friends in the increasing darkness, not knowing exactly what was about to happen to any of us.

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**Hmm...smart or stupid move they just made there? We shall see...we shall see...**


	25. Hotel Surprises

**Thanks for the amazing reviews from: Ameha Kay, Jadiee, teezee, NeonLovesYou, blossom734 and sloth13. I hope you guys all enjoy this new one!**

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CHAPTER 24  
Jade's POV

I could hardly breathe and my legs were going numb, but I wasn't slowing down. Mr. Valentine was like thirty years older than me, certainly I could keep up longer than he could.

Beck had fallen far back behind me, along with Tori, André and Robbie.

We must've run at least four blocks, and I still had no idea if it was going to end at any point. Mr. Valentine would make random turns, forcing us down dark alleys but with always a way to keep track of him.

Then up ahead I him slowing down significantly, and swerving into the empty parking lot of an abandoned hotel that was scheduled for demolition any day now. The outside of the building was plastered with caution signs to not enter, that the structure was still very unstable, but of course, Mr. Valentine ignored all the crap and leapt over the fences through the half-boarded up entrances.

I stopped, bending over and putting my hands on my knees, breathing deeply.

"Jade…" Beck cried hoarsely when he finally caught up, "what the _heck _was that for?"

"Mr. Valentine went into that building," I stated calmly.

"How do you know it was him?"

"I've seen him in that getup before. We have to go and find him. He lied. He's not doing a job interview; either that or he got back early. Beck, this is the chance we've been waiting for ever since that day in Lane's office. It's now or never."

Tori, André and Robbie came up, each of them looking like they were about to have a heart attack.

"Mr. Valentine's in the building," I repeated. "We'll need to split up into groups if we want to corner and capture him, okay? Beck, you go with Robbie and Tori go with André."

"And you're going to be by yourself?" Beck was clearly not happy about that idea.

"Yes. I can handle myself."

"He killed Cat, and hurt you once before," Beck said, pulling me into his chest and holding me tightly. "If he kills you…I don't know what I would do without you. Please. Let's just wait for the police to get here, okay?"

"No. This has to be done by us."

"Says who?" André questioned boldly.

"Says me. And if you all want to back out when we've come so far, then so be it. But I'm going in." I pushed Beck away and ran up to what seemed to be the entrance, hopping over the huge cinderblocks and twisting my fingers into the heavily cautioned chain link fence.

Robbie and Beck stood there watching, but after a few seconds they came after me, determined looks on their faces. Good.

"Are you coming or what?" I called to Tori and André for the last time, as I was already on the other side, waiting to get into the building after I was sure they were going to be with me or not.

Tori turned to André. "We have to be the world's stupidest sixteen-year-olds," she muttered as they came over.

"Probably," he replied.

I turned around and ran headfirst into the dusty, dilapidated building.

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Beck's POV  
I was still not thrilled in the least that Jade wanted to put herself in such danger. It worried me greatly, but there was no use in arguing. The best I could do now was keep an eye on her.

"We should go this way if Jade went that way," Robbie suggested, pointing towards the left once we had walked through the crumbling entrance. I looked over my shoulder and saw André helping Tori climb down.

"Okay. You lead."

We went deeper into the dark hotel, and I felt like we were in some sort of horror movie. Our steps creaked over the cracked and dusty floorboards, and you could hear the patter of mice and rat scurrying around at our intrusion. I gulped, taking out my phone and using the flashlight app in hopes that we wouldn't find any dead bodies or something.

After some walking around (and learning that the elevators were all out of order, big surprise), Robbie found a set of completely mutilated stairs, with missing steps and broken railings and nails jutting out like spikes. I was extremely hesitant to climbing it up, but he encouraged me and we were on our way.

I don't think I've ever been more afraid in my entire life.

Each room we went through was practically identical: paint peeling off of walls, darker patches on the ground where furniture had once been, shattered mirrors and bathroom appliances ripped right out of their sockets.

"So Beck, what happens if we can find Mr. Valentine?" Robbie asked, breaking the silence as we trudged through piles of random objects.

"I don't know."

"Do you think we should kill him?"

"What?" That was certainly a particularly dark thought coming from the usually timid and shy Robbie, but it was really backing up my former thought of him doing so to Cat.

"Look at what he's done to us. To you and Jade and André and Tori and me. And Cat." Was he being serious? What did jail do to Robbie? For the first time in my life, I was actually listening to him speaking with a rational reason and behavior. Please don't tell me it happened when he was in jail for that one week, which was all my fault.

"You know this necklace Cat gave me?" he continued, pointing to his throat.

"Yeah."

"Well, she said in her letter that if we ever got stuck, this could count as one of the clues." Robbie gestured to the green bolt hanging in the middle.

"But we're not stuck. We've almost figured out the entire thing."

"I know. But I figured out what the clue means, regardless."

"So what does it mean?"

"It points to you and Jade, because you both have a necklace similar to this, except it's gold, right?" He actually smiled at me and I gave him a weird look. "Jade's the leader of our group, and she seems to have been the one to figure out exactly what everything means before anyone else. But I'm not sure of the relation it has with you. Yet. However, I do know for a fact that you're the sent in the evidence to the police that ended up getting me 'arrested.'"

"Hey, about that, I'm so, so, sor—"

"No it's okay. I still don't really understand why you did it. Nor do I want to know. I got out, and that's all that matters, right?"

"Yep."

Robbie smiled again, light glinting off of his teeth as we continued walking through the rooms and searching quietly for the masked killer who could be lurking anywhere.

"Hey, Robbie?" I said finally. I had been thinking about certain things, and now my choice was clear.

"Yeah?"

"If we find Mr. Valentine, you can do the honors."

"Okay."

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Jade's POV

I have to admit, this place was a lot scarier than I originally thought, not that it was a bad thing. I was moving through rusty, jammed doors, peering out the stained windows and stepping across filthy carpets full of dust and mites, hoping that the archaic floors could hold my weight.

Not knowing where Mr. Valentine could be definitely spiked the tension, but I felt good to be 'in the game' again.

Searching up and down the empty halls, locating the unused, now-empty elevator shaft and broken staircases, I was walking down a particular passageway when I heard some noises coming from the very end.

Staying calm, I inched my way towards it. Then I stepped on a board that squeaked _very _loudly, and I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut. The noise softened to that of a dull whisper, and I ran to the door, ramming my shoulder into the surface, sending it swinging open and I sprawled onto the floor.

But just as I was lying there, something above clattered, and suddenly, I was drenched in what seemed a bucketful of a thick, clear goo.

"Ew!" I complained, feeling it sliding down my hair onto my nice leather jacket. Scooping off portions and trying to throw it onto the floor, I suddenly realized that it looked a lot like the substance that had been on Mr. Valentine's knife, and possibly the poison that had eventually killed Cat.

_ Don't swallow it, don't let it get in your eyes, or up your nose._

Still, a lot of it had already come into contact with the skin on my face, arms and hands. I tried my best to wipe it off onto the rest of my clothes and fling some of it against the walls of the room. It had no smell, nor did it burn on contact, but then again, it had taken a few weeks for it to settle in before it killed Cat.

Tottering forward with the heavy weight of the liquid, I traveled through more open doors, leaving an obvious trail of white slime behind me.

This is so cool and gross at the same time.

I made sure to keep my sense up, especially on my body where the substance had touched me. Nothing felt weird, or out of order, and that was starting to bother me. _Darn, if only Cat had the chance to tell me what it felt like to have poison seeping into your body_.

Finally, after walking and limping down many halls, I randomly chose a door and pushed it open, revealing to me a scarcely-furnished room with one window in the corner. The walls were dark gray, and so was the floor, almost as if it had been made out of concrete.

But I stopped in my tracks when I realized there was someone in there.

And it wasn't any of my friends.

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Tori's POV

"I think we should try and find Jade," André said after we had been walking around this abandoned hotel pointlessly for who knows how long.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should just leave her by herself. She seems really determined to face off with Mr. Valentine by herself, if she does manage to find him," I answered.

"But it's not safe for her."

"I don't think it's safety Jade's worried about," I retorted.

"Still. How do we even know that Mr. Valentine is still here? You know this place is scheduled for demolition any day now, and they've probably already wired the place with explosives; we just don't realize it. We should just get out and let the police take care of this." He pulled out his green phone.

"No!" I snatched it out of his hands, hiding it inside my pocket, and he didn't even try to grab it back. "This is our chance to do something right for once, to take revenge for Cat."

"Well, none of us better die doing it. One death is already too much for me to handle."

"Stop being such a downer." I handed him his phone politely and we continued searching around. "Do you think we could find any footprints or anything?"

"This place is already full of them. How do we even know which ones are new or have been sitting here for decades? Speaking of which, do you know what they're going to build in place of this?" André asked as we stepped over a large hole in the middle of the certain room.

"I don't know. What more shopping centers and malls could Hollywood possibly need?"

"Well, if Mr. Valentine's here, maybe he just needs to set the dang place on fire and that'll save them a lot of time and money."

I slapped his shoulder hard. How and why would he be thinking like that at a time like this? If Mr. Valentine did intend on doing that, well, we were all as good as gone and I was not planning on dying anytime soon.

"This has been quite an adventure, hasn't it, though?" he said.

"You bet."

"It all started with a car accident, a house burning down, a second attack, a visit to the hospital, a funeral, some secret visits to an apartment, and now this," André summed it up.

"Pretty much."

"Okay, so what we're doing right now might be pretty stupid, but you have to admit, we're pretty smart if we can figure all of that out in the first place. I mean, look, we even beat the police to it!"

"Yeah. I wonder why my dad was taking so long on it," I said.

"All right, well, let's keep going. Maybe we'll get out of here unharmed. If we're lucky."

"We've gotten lucky this _entire _time. What could possibly go wrong now?"

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**Isn't it that whenever someone says 'What could possibly go wrong?' things always do? *HINT HINT***

**All right so I kind of left you with three different cliffhangers. Be prepared. IT ALL GOES DOWN TOMORROW.**


	26. Everything Goes Up in Flames

**This chapter was really difficult to write...maybe because I already knew what was going to happen and there was no way getting out of it... I hope the characters have okay reasoning skills and stuff, because the only thing I could think of was how it was going to end. :'( **

**Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go and cry.**

**And thank you to: fansfavorite9, RoxyLily, Ameha Kay, Madd0g445, EmmaRose58, teezee, NeonLovesYou, Jadiee, sloth13 and Jeremy Shane. :D**

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CHAPTER 25  
Jade's POV

"Mr. Valentine?" I stepped forward as the goo slid down towards my eyes and I wiped it away quickly.

The man turned around, looking like a scared mouse. "Oh, it's Jade, isn't it?" He popped off his hood and took a deep breath.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Valentine? Were you the person that set the Hollywood Arts parking lot on fire?"

"I did no such thing. What are you talking about?"

"Yes you do. Stop lying."

"I'm not."

"Lying got you this far, Mr. Valentine, but now you've run into me. I know all of your secrets," I said simply. He raised his eyebrows as I continued. "Why are you so obsessed with fire? Why did you kill Cat?" Saying her name raised a lump in my throat.

"I couldn't do it," he whispered, leaning back on the wall behind him. "I couldn't…as much as I tried…"

"You couldn't what?" I took a bold step forward, trying to look as threatening as possible even with strands of slime dripping from my clothes.

"I never meant to hurt her," Mr. Valentine was crouched down, covering his face like a frightened little boy. "I never intended to kill her. I thought she was going to be out of the house by the time I came…but she wasn't… and I lost it."

"Heck yes you did," I growled. "Now your very own daughter will never get to live out her dream of becoming an actress and singer because she's currently buried six feet underground."

Mr. Valentine gripped his head like he was only now just realizing what he had done. "I couldn't control myself. The will was too strong. Why did all this have to happen to me?" He stood up, grabbing the windowsill for support and smashing his fists against the walls, which dented slightly underneath his power.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who caused it all in the first place!"

He walked over to me slowly, looking down with a gaze so full of guilt and hatred I actually took a step back. "You would never understand, Jade. No one would. I couldn't control myself, and that's why it all happened!"

And suddenly, his eyes flickered and I knew that he was no longer Mr. Valentine, but the man who has killed his own daughter and dozens of others in the fires he had started.

"Those men…I killed them all…made them pay for what they did to me."

"What are you talking about?" I repeated.

"When I was a young lad, Jade, much like you once were except of opposite gender, I went on vacation with my parents. The hotel I was staying at had a fire start. It was a big, scary one, something that I'll never forget. Both of my parents died trying to get me out, but not after I'd seen the affects and the wills some people have against others.

"From that moment on, I looked at fire in a different way. And now it does something funny to me. I became so afraid of it, that I developed another side. A side that loved it so much. All of my fear fueled it on, the looks on other's faces when they realized their fate…made me feel like I was in control…like I could do anything."

"You murdered a bunch of innocent people!" I shouted, my fists by my sides shaking. "My mom included."

"I'm sorry about that dear. Oh, wait," he snapped his fingers, "no, not really." There was a low rumble in his throat, and he rolled his head back, his voice now softening. "Do you know what it's like…to see all those people die…knowing that you're the one causing it and there's no way in the world that you can help stop it?"

_ What? One moment he was yelling at me, and now he's apologizing?_

"That's why there's medicines you take and people that specialize in this kind of problem," I said tersely.

"Oh, so you know about my pills? I knew someone had stolen one of my keys. Freaked me out a lot, quite honestly. But of course, little Kitty Cat paid for it in the end."

"You sick monster," I screeched. "How could you do that to her? HOW?"

"She knew too much," Mr. Valentine crouched down again, licking his lips like a psychotic maniac. "She knew I had two personalities, not that it bothered my 'good' side. But then she had to go and upset the 'bad' Mr. Valentine and he's the one who did it! You can't blame me!" He started sobbing, pressing his hands against his mouth.

"You. Are. One. Person." I seethed. "It doesn't matter which side did it! The only thing that does is that your own daughter is now dead!"

"I miss her!" Mr. Valentine bawled, rocking back and forth. "I miss seeing her every day! I miss hearing her laugh, and her adorable smile!" He completely broke down, but I didn't lighten up, even though the tears threatened to spill out of my own eyes.

"Maybe you should of thought of that before."

And then he snapped. Again.

"You think this is a game, Jade? You think that I did all those things because I _wanted_ to see how people reacted? You think I hurt my own daughter and her best friend multiple times because I was _bored_?" He shoved me hard by the shoulders and I staggered back a couple of feet. "And now, now it's going to get a whole lot worse.

"You know that Cat died because of a poison that was put into her system, right?" Mr. Valentine licked his lips and his eye twitched.

"You put it there in the first place," I snarled, still backing up, not knowing which way I was even going.

"Well, now it's all over you too."

I knew it.

"I invented the creation myself, if you must know." Mr. Valentine stepped away from me, rubbing his chin like he was some sort of genius. "Not only is it highly acidic, hence, the reason why Cat died, but it's also extremely flammable. But, let me tell you, I never actually knew it just being in a human's system would slowly kill them over a course of a few weeks, so technically, I never _truly _meant to kill her." He smiled sinisterly. "But of course, you getting that all over your body was on purpose."

I tried to stop breathing in the invisible fumes of the poison on my skin and started rubbing it off onto my clothes.

"Stop. You're only making it worse. But by now it's probably seeped through your pores and is slowly making its way through your body. Don't worry, though. If you can get out of here quick, you can stop it before it spreads like with what happened to Cat. _If _you get out."

"There are people," I almost pleaded, "who can help you get over this problem. It doesn't have to be like this."

"Oh of course not. It's just too late."

"My friends are here. When they hear me scream, they'll come up here with the police and stop you," I threatened, staring him down.

"You're not going to scream, not yet at least."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not."

"BEC—" I started, but realized that he was right. I wasn't going to scream.

Because suddenly in his hands was a small box of matches.

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"I do believe I mentioned that the poison is also very, _very_ flammable, correct?" He started pacing back and forth, pushing the box open and taking one stick out. "It helps the buildings burn quickly…and doesn't give off a lot of smoke either. It's an arsonist's dream tool."

_ And now I'm covered in it. Oh great._

Mr. Valentine put the match away, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small bottle about the size of a beer one. He took off the cap and turned it upside down. I watched with disgust as more of the substance slid out, and he dripped it in a half-circle, trapping me against a wall.

"What are you doing?" I was starting to go into full panic mode, especially knowing what could possibly happen to me.

He threw the bottle away, it smashed onto the floor, the little bit of poison left seeping out of the cracks. "You have been a bad girl, Jade. You and all of your friends, but I assume you take most responsibility because you're the leader?"

_ Crap. This always happens in the movies._

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied.

"Don't think I didn't notice that one of our apartment keys went missing, and when I come home, certain things all over seem to be out of place. You're lucky I didn't mention it to my wife. Silly girl, she's going to be in so much pain when I'm through dealing with you."

"What do you mean?" _Why is he talking about her_?

He took out a match again, testing the end against the side of the box. "I'm going to need to leave the state, leave the country once I'm done with you and your little gang."

"You don't have to do this," I tried to reason for the last time.

"Oh yes I do. You know too much, Jade. About me, everything I've done, what I'm going to do."

"I didn't ask to know any of that."

"I didn't ask you to listen to it either. But either way, you are not getting out of here looking like that." He pointed to my goo-covered body.

"You do anything to me…my friends…they'll know you're the one who did this."

"Jade, do you really think I would be this stupid? Tsk, tsk, tsk." Mr. Valentine grinned, looking me in the eye, a glint of pure evil hiding behind the pupils. "Don't fret. I've got everything planned out. I spent the past few weeks wiring up the pipes in this place with my creation. Once I set it off, this building goes off in flames, along with everyone inside of it. And if you think you're friends are going to have the smarts to get out of here before it does, well, they won't want to once they hear you start screaming."

He lit up the match, the little blue flame dancing and almost laughing at me. "I'm going to count to three. And when I do, I'm going to drop this match. And I think you know what happens after that."

_ Of course. I'm covered and surrounded by your flammable matter._

"Just think about it. Cat and everyone else you've killed are watching you right now. Whether or not you believe in ghosts or the coming of a dead spirit, at some point, they're all going to be back and make you regret everything you've done."

"You said I also killed your mother? Well, you obviously must be her daughter. She was the only one that day to stand up to me, like you are now. Just like family, some say. She even looked and talked exactly like you. And like her, you're trying to get me to stop. And like her, I'm going to kill you in the exact same way."

"Don't talk about my mom like that." Knowing that my own mother was doing what I was just gave me more strength to keep at it.

"Oh, well, you'll get to join her, along with Cat and eventually the rest of your friends, but right after you die a most painful death." He shook the match he'd been holding, sticking it in his pocket and lighting a fresh one.

I knew there was no way out.

I knew there was nothing I could do now.

I knew I was going to die.

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Mr. Valentine eyed the glowing flame, and then looked at me.

"One."

My last minute thoughts swirled around in my head.

_ Beck, I love you. You're the best boyfriend any girl in the world could possibly ever have, and I'm so glad you picked me over everyone else. _

_ Robbie, I still think that you're really weird even after all of this time, and I'm glad that you got what you wanted to know with Cat. Take care of that necklace. It's her going-away present for you. And one more thing. Even though it was super weird and annoying, I secretly thought it was kind of cool how you could throw your voice with Rex so convincingly._

_ André, you are one of my best guy friends. You're a super talented musician and your singing voice is amazing. If I wasn't dating Beck already, I'd seriously consider dating you._

_ Tori Vega, the girl whose guts I seem to hate. You're a really loyal friend and I know I can count on you no matter what I do to you. And, I think you're actually really adorable when you cry._

"Two."

I stared at Mr. Valentine as hard as I could. I was going to make sure he wouldn't forget about this moment. _You're going to regret this for the rest of your life_.

"Three."

The match fell in slow motion.

I didn't even see it hit the ground, because the next thing I knew, my whole world was on fire.

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**. . .**

**So maybe you guys know what happens next. Maybe you don't. Oh god this is so emotional for me right now...why do I even write stories like this? Hmm...maybe it's because I'm a freak who gets a kick out of fictional characters' pain...but this time is totally different...I swear. No I'm not emo. My friends always compare me to acting like 'a big puppy dog.' ;) Hahaha.**

**And yes. Somewhere earlier in the story I mentioned that Mr. Valentine had a traumatizing childhood. Remember where?**

**Um, I don't really know what else to say. This is the top climax/cliffhanger of the story, so, uhm, yeah. A few more chapters left.**

**I dunno. Review?**


	27. To Murder a Man and Save a Friend

**Okay, sorry for the late update but I was playing Wii with my brother (and winning by the way).**

**I'll have more to say at the bottom, just read carefully and don't rush! :)**

**Thanks to: NeonLovesYou, Jadiee, sloth13, teezee, RoxyLily, and Jeremy Shane.**

**Enjoy.**

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CHAPTER 26  
Tori's POV

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The most ear-splitting, pain-filled scream I have ever heard (on TV and real life) rang throughout the empty building.

"That has to be Jade," André said, looking petrified.

We started running, following the horrific screaming, up and down broken staircases, leaping over chairs and tables.

"Oh, god, what is he doing to her?" André panted.

"I have no idea."

The sounds continued, and they were getting louder and louder so I knew we were close by. But never in a hundred years would I be prepared for the sight that was hiding behind that particular door.

André rammed his body against it, knocking it right off of its hinges. And then I started screaming myself.

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Jade's POV

The pain was absolutely awful. It felt like someone was pressing irons against almost every part of my body, and as I was screaming I could feel the flames being sucked into my mouth and blazing down my throat, making their way dangerously towards my lungs.

After a while I had to stop because I needed to preserve what little air I had left since the flames around my face were eating up all the oxygen, but the pain felt like it was getting worse.

I was stuck in this little corner of hell, slapping at my face and the rest of my body feverishly, only getting my hands burnt to the point where I couldn't feel them anymore. Mr. Valentine had laughed and snuck away (where, I had no idea), leaving me to burn to death, just like he promised.

I had no idea how long it was since I took a full breath of air, but now I was suffocating, the white-hot fire dissolving my clothes into my skin, the poison fueling it on. Thousands of pokers were jabbing into my body, at all angles, everywhere.

And through it all, I was able to make out some new voices that sounded a lot like Tori and André.

"JADE!" Tori was screaming.

I was barely able to register anything over the deafening roar in my ears. This was too painful to handle, I kneeled down on the floor, pain erupting in my legs on contact, and I felt something thick dripping down my arms. But it wasn't blood.

It was skin.

My body was melting.

It was like when the Wicked Witch of the West had water thrown over her by Dorothy, she turned into a helpless watery puddle.

I never thought this was possible to happen to a human being.

"Kill me," I wanted to say but couldn't. "Just kill me and leave me in peace."

Everything around me seemed to be on fire as well. I could not describe the feeling. My hair, my face, my arms, legs…everything was in absolute agony. If I could cry, I would, but each tear evaporated after leaving my eye before the salt could even sting my face.

And then something hit me hard in the back, ripping the skin and clothes from my body. I screamed, rolling onto my side, thrashing and trying to fight back. It felt like someone had whipped with a piece of barbed wire.

Tori was standing there, holding her jacket and trying to beat the flames off of me since there was no water in sight. But I didn't want her doing that. If I were to survive, I'd be the most scarred-looking monster that ever lived.

"Stop and just let me die please!" My voice came out as a pathetic hiss.

Tori kept hitting me over and over, and I found that the top part of my body was slowly becoming number, although the flames kept on burning. It came to the point where I had no idea if my fingers were even still attached, and I wanted to throw up but my body didn't respond in the slightest.

The left side of my face lost feeling too, and my vision went blurry. _Oh god, I hope my eyeball didn't melt out of its socket_...Slowly and in the most painful way imaginable I could no longer sense what was going around.

I couldn't see, move, or breathe.

I don't think I could live anymore either.

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Tori's POV

Jade was on fire.

She was literally _on fire_.

A flaming body in the dark of the room, screaming and crying as she was burned alive.

"JADE!" I screamed, but she didn't respond.

"HOLY SMOKES!" André yelled, probably not intending for the pun to happen.

"DO SOMETHING!" I yelled, ripping my jacket off. André yanked out his phone, shaking uncontrollably as he called 911…for the second time this evening.

I smashed my jacket into Jade's flaming back, trying to beat out the flames, and she fell over, grabbing her head and trying to scream, but the fire was being forced down her throat and she stopped, dry sobs racking her body.

"Give me something else!" I called to André. "Quickly!"

"Like what?" There were no visible fire extinguishers as far as I could see; why would there be? This hotel was cleaned out and abandoned for years.

"Your clothes!" I threw the jacket once more over Jade's twitching body.

André slipped his shoes off, taking his jacket and shirt from his shoulders and tossing it to me. Then he started to remove his pants as well, all the while shouting to 911 that our friend was on fire and we had no water to put it out with.

I took each article of clothing and threw it onto Jade.

"Jade! You need to roll! Start rolling!" I commanded.

But I don't think Jade could understand, seeing as her entire head was also on fire, her raven locks becoming shorter and shorter by the second.

I took my chance, even though I knew it was going to be painful. But I'm sure Jade was in twenty-million times more pain than I would _ever _be.

Wrapping my hands up in André's shirt, I got down and grabbed Jade, ignoring her fighting against me and holding her flaming body towards my chest. It burned. Really, really _bad_. So bad I wanted to let go, and it took all my strength to not.

I slapped my hands on her head, since obviously that was a very crucial part to the body if one wanted to live. The fire was going down and starting to catch onto me, still biting viciously at her.

Then, holding onto Jade, I started to roll us across the floor. My head banged on the concrete and I did my best to keep hers safe but put out the flames at the same time. André was running around us, smacking the flames with his pants and I barely noticed he was only wearing his boxers and socks at this point.

The fire was dying slowly, and I think Jade must've had something on her clothes that continued to fuel it on.

But then she stopped moving.

And we panicked, thinking that she might've died from shock, or the fact that the blaze had finally settled in long enough to deliver the last burn.

I leaped off of her, not even knowing if she was still alive and putting out the flames on her body, ignoring the stabbing pains on my own.

"Tori! Get the fire off of yourself first!" André yelled.

I tore off my shirt, ignoring the fact that I was pulling off a lot of my skin too. Feeling the air against the exposed burns stung, and I curled up into a ball, sobbing.

Echoes of screams filled the room, and I didn't even realize that they were mine and André's.

Finally, André was down to the last few flames while I lay there watching helplessly. I could hardly breathe; each inhale a pain erupting in my chest. My head was spinning and I completely forgot where we were.

"Oh god…don't look at her, Tori, don't look at her," André said softly, blocking whatever was left of Jade's body from my view. I wanted to ask if she was all right, but my lips weren't responding.

Just then, the firefighters burst into the room.

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Beck's POV

We heard a scream.

My eardrums and heart shattered, because I would recognize that scream anywhere.

My baby.

"Robbie, we have to find Jade!" I shouted, grabbing his arm.

"Okay, okay, where do we go?" Robbie looked scared as the screaming echoed throughout the hotel nonstop.

I almost started crying, just listening to the gut-wrenching sounds ricocheting off the walls and bouncing out doors. We ran through rooms, sending objects and furniture spinning away in our wake. The noises were getting louder, and my breath became shorter and shorter.

Then, we heard more than one person screaming.

It sounded a lot like Tori and André as well.

It calmed me down only a little bit to know that Jade was being rescued by her friends, but I needed to see it for myself. I was far ahead of Robbie, smashing doors open like the Incredible Hulk and I was ready to start breaking walls as well when I heard my name.

"Beck! Stop!"

I spun around, crashing into a chair.

"Mr. Valentine! He's running that way! We need to go and capture him!" Robbie yelled, pointing in the opposite direction.

"But what about Jade?" _Was I actually going to leave my girlfriend, who could be dying as we speak, just so that we could go and find Cat's killer? _I was strongly conflicted, looking at the lustful expression on Robbie's face.

I owed it to him though. He should've never been sent to jail. I was foolish, stupid, and jealous.

I would never forgive myself for making the decision I did. It was for the better, right?

_I hope it is_.

Shaking my head, I ran after him as he tried to locate Mr. Valentine's steps, which rang out like trumpets in the empty halls.

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"You had so better right about this being Mr. Valentine," I murmured as we ran full speed ahead.

"Yes! It is! He's trying to escape. I have a feeling that he has something to do with why Jade is screaming so much," Robbie replied, breathlessly and not very confidently.

THUD.

I looked up ahead and saw the figure we were chasing go crashing into the ground. Robbie had a burst of energy and he tackled the person trying to get back up. I ran over to help him. See, this was why I had to stay with him.

Robbie normally wasn't a very strong kid, and Mr. Valentine managed to stand up, racing into through the nearest door, but I caught him before he could escape our sight completely and brought him back down. Pulling his arms behind his back, Robbie yanked off his hood, revealing his true identity.

"Mr. Valentine." We were not surprised.

"What? What's going on boys?" Mr. Valentine looked genuinely confused as he twisted underneath me to get a better look at us.

"You know what's going on," I snarled. "What did you do to Jade?"

"I don't know. Where am I?"

"Stop lying!" Robbie shouted as he helped me drag Mr. Valentine to his feet. "Why did you kill Cat?"

"Cat? Yes, I understand that she's dead, but I don't—"

SMACK.

Robbie punched Mr. Valentine in the jaw boldly, and even I was shocked, until I saw that he was trying to hide the grimace of pain on his face. Then something weird seemed to happen. The man broke out of my grip, bending my arm until I thought it was going to snap and leaping out of reach.

"You think you can take me on, boys? You really think you can?" His tongue flickered out of his mouth like a snake. "I've killed loads of people before. You can be added to that list."

"Or maybe we can end it right here," Robbie said savagely, pushing Mr. Valentine backwards. I grabbed Robbie to keep him from getting closer. I could tell that this man was not his usual self; he had switched personalities.

"What do you want?" Mr. Valentine was circling the small room, going to stand by the window.

"I want to know why you killed Cat," Robbie shouted.

"Geez, don't you kids want to know anything else for once? Like how I've managed to kill my other victims? No? What an original bunch," Mr. Valentine laughed in a dark way.

"You're going to jail for what you've been doing. I hope you get the death sentence," Robbie snarled.

"What did you do to my girlfriend?" I had to get the words out.

"Oh is Jade _your_ girl? Oh my, if only I'd known. Maybe I could've lit you on fire instead and just let her suffer watching you die instead. Those methods work a lot better, you know," Mr. Valentine said matter-of-factly.

"You _set her on fire_?"

"Well yes. What else did you think I was going to do? They don't call me the Hollywood Arsonist for nothing."

"Why are you doing this? To everyone? What did we ever do to you?"

"You two and the rest of your gang have been violating private property for the past few weeks," Mr. Valentine growled angrily, spit flying from his lips.

"But what about Cat?" Robbie challenged.

Mr. Valentine's expression softened, and his eyes grew dim. "She…knew too much. I never meant to even hurt her that first time anyway. But after I did, she started figuring out all of my darkest secrets. She was my daughter yes, but I had to end it before it got out of hand."

"You're going to pay for what you did." Robbie's glasses had gone misty. My hand tightened on his shoulder.

"Yes maybe, if you look at it that way." Mr. Valentine's hands went behind his back and I could tell that he was fiddling with something. "I'm going to die, but then again, so are you." And Robbie charged.

A small remote fell out from behind Mr. Valentine and I dove onto the ground to retrieve it before he could. I had a feeling that it would probably activate something really bad.

Mr. Valentine and Robbie were now engaging in a violent struggle with each other.

Robbie was punching every inch of Mr. Valentine he could reach, shattering the older man's glasses and nose, blood spraying everywhere. Mr. Valentine was trying to get to me with the remote, and I was tempted to throw it out the building, but there was a weird sensation in my gut that told me I shouldn't, unless I wanted to activate something very dangerous.

Knocking Robbie's feet from under him, Mr. Valentine got away and came towards me, and I slid the remote across the floor as to make sure the button wasn't pressed. I put my hands up, knowing for the first time that this was not stage fighting but real.

I swung out with a fist, missing, but recovering as Mr. Valentine charged from underneath and threw me so high in the air that I almost hit the ceiling before coming down and landing hard on my stomach.

"Don't let him get the remote!" I shouted through the searing pain.

It seemed as if Robbie had a new burst of energy and he ran, knocking Mr. Valentine onto his side and kicking him towards the wall. It collapsed under his weight, exposing an empty hole to the dark outside.

I got up shakily to help out Robbie. Mr. Valentine was just about to fall off the edge, his fingers the only thing keeping him attached to the building. Blood dripped out of the corner of my mouth and I wiped it away, saying to Robbie, "Do the honors."

"Any last words?" Robbie said as towered above the dangling man.

"I don't plan on dying today." Mr. Valentine swept Robbie's feet away from him with his hand, trying to gain a better grip to climb back up. But his plan didn't work as Robbie fell back down right on his outstretched arms.

Howling, Mr. Valentine recoiled, but realized that no longer had a grip on the structure's floor. I ducked down and tried to grab any part of him that I could reach, but I missed.

As he fell who knows how far down to his doom, I could've sworn I heard him laughing.

* * *

**HOLY CRAP! So much good stuff just happened in this chapter, am I correct? Maybe some of it seems sudden, maybe some of it doesn't. Surprise you at all?**

**I know Beck was kind of OCC not going out to help Jade especially since they're together and stuff, but it would kind of only work out and add interest later on if he didn't, which you'll see soon.**

**But overall did you like it? (It was so much fun to write.) :D**


	28. What Really Happened

**Here is the chapter where you will finally get to understand how the clues worked, and also see things from the Valentines' point of view. Hopefully it answers all of your questions, suspicions, etc.**

**Special thank you to: fansfavorite9, RoxyLily, teezee, Jadiee, sloth13, NeonLovesYou, ShoutItFromTheRooftops, EmmaRose58, and Kittkatt11. :)**

* * *

CHAPTER 27  
Beck's POV

_Fireworks Burn Hospital_.

What an appropriate name.

Robbie and I stood outside the front of the white looming building. Robbie was on crutches, a cast wrapped around his left knee and I had a sling around my arm. We probably looked like a bunch of idiots staring at what was before us, still not able to process the information of why we were even here.

One week ago was when Mr. Valentine fell to his death in the abandoned hotel.

One week ago my life changed forever.

Robbie and I hadn't seen Tori, André or Jade since the last time before we all split up in the hotel. I had heard rumors of what happened to them, on the news and such, but I wasn't going to believe any of it until I saw it with my own eyes.

After the argument and death that occurred in the hotel, the police had burst in on us, along with several paramedics. They asked us who we were, and said that three other kids were already being sent to a hospital, and we went there too, but once we arrived, we learned that our friends had been moved due to the extent of their injuries.

The doctors helped patch us up and we were given the name of where are friends had been sent, but not the condition they were in. And before we were even allowed to go and visit, we were required to take a trip to the Los Angeles police station.

* * *

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_Robbie and I were sitting in the hard plastic chairs, ignoring the looks of criminals in orange jumpers similar to the ones we wore while we were in Yerba passing by, handcuffed and being escorted by huge officers._

_ "Do you think we're going to get thrown into jail for killing a wanted arsonist and murderer?" Robbie asked in a small voice._

_ "Hopefully not. In the least we should be rewarded. Especially after all everyone's been through," I replied.__  
_

_"You worried about Jade?"__  
_

_"You think?"__  
_

_Robbie's eyes shadowed. "Well who knows. Once were done with this, I'm sure we'll get to go and visit her and Tori and __André__. Okay?" I never heard him use this tone of voice before. He was concerned for me, sympathetic. __  
_

_"Yeah, right. I don't know. I guess I just really want to see them all again," I said through my teeth. _

_ "Don't worry, man." Robbie looked dead serious.__  
_

_Just then, Mr. Vega and a really tall dude with whiting hair walked up to us.__  
_

_"Beck Oliver and Robbie Shapiro. Good to see you both again." Mr. Vega smiled warmly and shook each of our hands. I returned his greetings half-heartedly.__  
_

_"I'm Gary and I think you've already met my partner, David Vega," the other man said, also shaking our hands. "Will you boys please follow us?"__  
_

_"Where are we going? Did we do anything illegal?" Robbie asked as we were led down a series of dark hallways with pictures of men and dogs lined up along the walls wearing shiny badges and bulletproof vests, expressions of seriousness plastered on their faces. _

_ "You know what for."__  
_

Okay, maybe we do, maybe we don't. What's with the hostility all of a sudden_? We just 'killed' a man whose set fire to buildings just for the heck of it, and murdered dozens of people, including one of our best friends…and maybe more if Tori, __André and Jade don't snap out of it._

_Hold the phone…why am I thinking like that? Of course they'll survive…of course…_

_We stopped at a gray door that looked like it was made out of solid steel. Mr. Vega opened it with a key and I got a quick look, surprised to see that the room had its walls made out of nothing but mirrors.__  
_

_An interrogation room.__  
_

_What in the _world_ did we do now?__  
_

_"Sit down boys." Mr. Vega's partner gestured to the cold metal table erected right in the middle with four chairs surrounding it, one on each side.__  
_

_"What's going on?" I refused to take a seat, glancing around and noticing the white security cameras set up in the corners.__  
_

_"You boys are not in trouble," he assured. "Sit down, Beck." Robbie gave me a funny look and I took the seat next to him, keeping my hands in my lap and hunching over slightly, feeling intruded by the people who could be watching behind the mirrors and from the cameras. __  
_

_"We've been told by several sources that you both were inside the very room of the abandoned hotel in which Randolph Valentine fell from," Mr. Vega said.__  
_

_"Yessir." Robbie replied swiftly._

_ "And we'd like to give you our many thanks for the service you've done the city of Hollywood. Because of you boys, there's now one less psychotic criminal to worry about," Gary congratulated, a huge change in mood.__  
_

_"Oh well, we can't take full credit for that," Robbie said, and I think he was feeling more guilty than anything. "He kind of killed himself. You know, I think they call it suicide nowadays." __  
_

_Mr. Vega leaned back in his chair. "Explain."__  
_

_"Well, Mr. Valentine was already hanging off of the edge of the building, and we were standing above him, asking for any last words he might want to say. But then Mr. Valentine hit Robbie and tried to get climb back up, but his plan backfired when Robbie ended up landing on his arms and he let go, falling to his death, I suppose," I answered. __  
_

_"__So it was indirectly that I killed him," Robbie clarified. _

_ "Well, either way, you boys have saved us a lot of paperwork, trouble and money in needing to keep that fiend contained," Gary said. "But that's not the full reason why we called you both down here. We want to hear your testimony of how the five of you managed to figure out the case, and in exchange, we'll tell you what was really going on in the Valentine family."_

_ I glanced at Robbie. Of course I wanted to know what the Valentines' side of the story was, but we had promised Jade and the others a long time ago to not tell anyone _anything_. But I don't think that mattered now. Our group had been torn apart and I didn't know if we would ever get back together again.__  
_

_"Cat gave us a whole bunch of clues while she was still alive," I said for what seemed the millionth time, "and we figured out everything else out from there."__  
_

_"Such as the word iller?" Mr. Vega recalled._

_ "And also a set of three keys given to Jade." I confessed.__  
_

_"Ah, so that's what she was hiding." Mr. Vega nodded understandingly. "Keep going. We won't interrupt anymore."__  
_

_"One of the keys unlocked the door to Cat's apartment, K-5 in Gladiolus Gardens," I began. It felt like we were just reciting it from memory now. _

_"Before we started going there, on the week anniversary of Cat's death we visited her grave to put down flowers and stuff in remembrance. But then we found that someone had lit a picture of her on fire and left it there to burn, which we used to figure out that maybe the Hollywood Arsonist had something to do with her killing._

_ "We usually visited the Valentines' apartment afterschool or on the weekends when we knew they weren't home to take a look around for something that Cat might've left for us." _

_ "On one trip, Jade was in the master bedroom and she found a letter, the one that was sent to you guys to arrest me," Robbie put in. Gary and Mr. Vega turned red, although they didn't say anything and he continued.__  
_

_"After that, when we finally did return again, Jade was in the bathroom and a she found a bottle of pills for someone with DID, which we later learned was not for Cat but someone else: Mr. Valentine, we think."__  
_

_"And while all that was happening, Tori had found Cat's journal in her bedroom and __André__ figured out what the word iller was for. If you take the apartment number K-5 and put five letters into the space where the number would be, it equals killer, which indicates that he was living in that apartment, which really narrowed down the suspects."_

_ I took over for a little bit. "They opened up the journal and instead of it being an actual diary, it held a letter written to Robbie from Cat."__  
_

_"She told me that she liked me back and gave me this necklace." Robbie took it from out of his shirt and showed off the green bolt.__  
_

_"And then we were each left to our own devices to try and figure out more about Mr. Valentine, but we didn't know he did it at the time, obviously. I went onto Cat's Slap account and saw what his full name is, and we all gathered in the Hollywood Arts parking lot," I said._

_ "But then, just as things were making sense, everything caught on fire, and we barely managed to escape. That's when Jade spotted Mr. Valentine running from the scene and we chased after them both."_

_ "We arrived at the abandoned hotel, and Jade convinced us all to go in," Robbie continued. "And because we split up, Tori with __André, Beck and I, and Jade by herself, we all got mixed up and lost, so when Jade found and cornered Mr. Valentine, it gave them an opportunity alone and he managed to get back at her before running off."_

_ "Tori and André went to rescue her while Robbie spotted Mr. Valentine running away, and we chased after him, trapping him a room where the final showdown took place," I finished._

_ "That's quite amazing for five teenagers to accomplish. You're all very smart and seem to work together brilliantly," Mr. Vega said, Gary nodding to agree._

_ I guess that was supposed to be a compliment, but I rushed in saying, "But do you guys know what happened to Tori, André, and especially Jade afterwards? They got sent to some bur—"_

_ "Hold on, Beck, okay? I promise we'll let you know what's going on with your friends. I know they are very important to you, but we need to get this done first, okay?" Gary said, and I frowned. _What could possibly be more important than my loving girlfriend who might've lost her entire face in the fire_?_

_ "We'd like to let you know that Mrs. Valentine is being held in custody for withholding evidence that could've very easily helped us policemen in the case of Cat Valentine. Her son Raz, has been sent away to live with his aunt and uncle. I feel very sorry for that family. They've been broken apart, destroyed by the one man they looked up to as a husband and father." Mr. Vega shook his head sadly._

_ "And what's interesting is that Mrs. Valentine claims to not know anything that the disorder turned him into the Hollywood Arsonist, although she at least know he had it. But she did provide with some very interesting background information about him._

_ "Mr. Randolph Seth Valentine, when he was a little younger than you two are now, was involved in an accident that would change his life forever. He went on vacation with his parents one summer, and the hotel that they were staying at caught on fire due to the actions of some wannabe arsonists, although later they were caught and captured._

_ "Both of his parents died in the attempt to get him out safe and sound, traumatizing him from the fire so much that it soon developed into a new personality of his, the fear only fueling it on._

_ "He started to commit crimes when he was taken over by the other 'side,' and as you know, they began to grow much larger as well as his uncontrollable desire, and he started setting community and work buildings on fire as well. He worked night shifts in order to sneak out early on occasion and commit his dirty deeds._

_ "But of course, things really began to get out of hand when his daughter discovered his secret, which was never actually intended to happen."_

_ "What?" I was thoroughly confused now. _

_ "Yes. On the night that Mr. Valentine set his own house on fire, he wasn't expecting anyone to be inside at the time, despite that most people are usually inside at that time of day. He thought that Cat was going to be with his wife and son at the 'special' hospital, so when he broke in and was getting ready to light it up in flames, he noticed that she was still in there._

_ "With his other personality, although he didn't have weapons he still planned on killing her, but then the good Mr. Valentine tried to take control at the last second, giving Cat enough time to escape before he was overtaken again and then set the house on fire."_

_ Robbie and I didn't want to say anything; it was making so much sense right now._

_ "It was fortunate that Cat survived, but now Mr. Valentine faced the fact that he had let one of his potential 'victims' go free, and it would only be a matter of time before she figured out his real secret. So his other side planned to go and end the whole affair properly."_

_ Gary continued, "While all this was happening, we figured that Cat had started leaving her clues, until her and Jade were attacked for the second time. The good personality stopped himself in mid-attempt to kill Cat and fled, but not after she was stabbed eleven times, correct?"_

_ We nodded._

_ "Mr. Valentine thought, that if he could gain power of his evil counterpart, Cat might have had a chance of surviving again, but this was foiled when he realized that the knife was coated in his acidic, flammable poisonous creation that was what in the end killed Cat."_

_ "So…technically, the Mr. Valentine we knew didn't do any of this, but his other side planned it all out and he couldn't control himself in time?" Robbie asked._

_ "And how did you guys figure all of that out?" I said as well. _

_ "Yep. And we've been thinking about that for a long time, but we believe it's a _very _accurate theory," Gary answered solemnly. _

_ "Okay, so now will you guys please tell me what happened to Jade?" I begged impatiently._

_ "Her, Tori and André are currently residing at Firework Burn Hospital. We can bring you boys over right now if you'd like, but I'm not sure if you get to see them. They are all—_especially _Jade—in a very critical condition, having sustained a variety of second and third degree burns all over their bodies and therefore cannot be disturbed, so don't be surprised if you're not allowed in," Gary explained, and I saw Mr. Vega's eyes darken with grief for his hurt daughter._

_ "Yes, let's go." I said quickly, giving Robbie a glimpse and he appeared to be interested in going as well._

_ "Okay. Thank you both gentlemen for your contribution. It will not be forgotten for a long time. Everything will be sorted out fully in the next few days, and your reward for 'killing' Mr. Valentine will be sent ASAP," Gary said, standing up._

_ "Whoa wait…what do we get?"_

_ "Money. Lots and lots of money."_

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* * *

"Are you ready, Beck?" Robbie asked as we got closer and closer to the doors.

"No." I'd seen burn victims on TV and movies so many times and even in the special effects makeup class at Hollywood Arts, and they gave me nightmares. It was hard to believe that some of my best friends might look just like them…except permanently.

"Hey, man, it's gonna be okay. At least their alive, right?" I knew he was referencing to his dead crush.

"Yeah. For how long, I wonder."

* * *

**So there you go! We are still not done yet, because don't you guys want to know: what happened to Jade and Tori and André? Yeah. I want to know too.**

**Three more chapters left!**


	29. Don't Want to Be Here

**Okay so this chapter might be inaccurate because I don't really know what goes on in an actual burn hospital...so please correct me if I'm wrong.**

**THANK YOU to: NeonLovesYou, teezee, sloth13, and Jadiee.  
And especially Kittkatt11 for your amazing review(s)! I sat there reading them and smiling like an idiot and then my dad started laughing at me. :)**

**Also, sorry if the guys' interactions with each other are kind of awkward and stuff. I'm not a guy so I have no idea how they would react to each other in a hospital.**

* * *

CHAPTER 28  
Beck's POV

I wanted to run out screaming when we first entered.

You could hear people crying and screaming from all over the place. Robbie looked like he was going to be sick as went up to the front desk and requested to see our friends. I couldn't stop looking around, seeing family members whispering into each others' ears and failing to hold back tears. Every time a doctor came in, everyone would look up, terrified that it might be their own loved one that had passed or something.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sirs, but currently Tori Vega is in surgery and Jade West is in a medically induced coma. You can still see André Harris if you'd like to, though," the nurse told us apologetically.

_My girlfriend is…in…a….COMA? Nobody said anything about that_!

"But…how…did Jade…" my words came out in splutters.

"Would you like to go see Mr. Harris now? Can I get your names please? I need to do a background check." Robbie was holding onto my shoulder as he gave the woman our names. I was shaking violently. _Oh gosh, I can't even imagine what could've happened to my girl now…we shouldn't have come here, we shouldn't have come here_...

"André's up and about in room A-290, which is on the second floor. You boys have fun. And please don't be rude about the way he might look," the nurse told us quietly. "Some patients can get easily upset about that in the healing process."

Before I could ask any more questions, Robbie towed me out into the dimly lit hall. "Hey, man, calm down all right? We can get some answers about Jade from André, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," I said, nodding my head.

We took an elevator up to the second floor, but not after passing people lying on gurneys being wheeled around by frenzied nurses, with their faces a mess of charred red and flecks of skin, moaning and crying. This was like a living hell for me. _Did Jade look like that too_?

"Over here, Beck."

Room A-209.

I pushed the door open without knocking and saw André standing by the far window, using a walker, his back to us. The walls were a simple white, and the main light was turned off, only rays of sun coming from outside brightening up the room. He turned around when he heard the door open, and his face beamed when he saw us.

"André!" Robbie said, going over and giving him a hearty slap on the back.

"Dude! You're alive!" I joked, giving him a bro hug.

"Yeah, man. That was a _hecka _intense night, let me tell you." André half-wheeled, half-limped over his bed and sat down, the object creaking under his weight. "I just got a few burns on my legs, but it makes it really hard to walk so they're going to keep me here for a few days until I get better. Then I can go home." He pointed ruefully to his wrapped up knees and smiled.

"How did that happen?" Robbie asked as we sat down in cushiony chairs across from him.

"Tori made me take off my pants—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, she _what_?" I interrupted, almost laughing for the first time in a while.

"Let me finish before you start interrupting." André's tone was serious, but there was an amusing glint in his eyes. "There was no—and I mean absolutely no—water or any fire extinguishers in the hotel room that 'it' happened in. So we had to use our clothes. Improvisation is the key to survival, right?"

"What do you mean _we_?"

"Tori and I. Seeing as Ja…" his voice trailed off and he looked away from my face, his hands twisting uncomfortably in his lap.

"Jade. What happened to her? The police said…"

"Beck, man. I'm sorry. On my life. I wish we could've gotten there faster and put out the fire sooner…but geez. I'm so sorry, dude," André started apologizing.

"What happened to her, André?" I demanded.

"Old man Valentine set her on fire, you probably heard. She was completely covered in flames when we found her. Tori used her clothes and some of mine to try and put them out, but since that wasn't working too well, she ended up getting down and holding Jade, and she tried to roll her around, you know?"

"That sounds really sexual," I commented.

"Yeah it does. Until you realize it's what ended up saving her life in the end," André shot back, crossing his arms. I frowned.

"So what exactly—" I started.

"Then what happened to Tori?" Robbie asked.

"Apparently she suffered second degree burns to her arms and chest, and the doctors are doing some skin grafts to try and speed up the healing," André remembered, suddenly shuddering at the memory. "But geez…"

"And Jade?" I pressed again. _Why the heck does everyone keep avoiding MY QUESTION_?

"I'm not sure." André was telling the truth. "But I'll tell you, Beck. I would never lie to you about anything. And I wish I could lie to you right now. I'm sorry man. No one deserves something like that to happen to them." I stood there, my mouth hanging open.

"I got a chance to see her body before the paramedics took her away. I couldn't even tell the difference between her clothes and skin. It was probably the scariest thing I've ever seen. Even when my I close my eyes…it's like I can still see her…lying there…helpless…"

My breathing had slowed down, and tears were running down my face.

"It was like someone had stuck her in a barbecue and forgotten to take her out. She didn't even her hair anymore and her body was so charred that I can't even believe she's usually as pale as a vampire."

"How is she even alive?" I whispered, my voice cracking. But seriously. With the injuries that André just described, there was probably no way in the world she would ever physically look the same again.

"She's a fighter, like you always said." André changed the subject, although I could not stop thinking about how my girlfriend was going to live now. The way I was imagining her looking was beyond appalling. "So I heard you guys killed Mr. Valentine? How in the world did you manage that?"

As Robbie filled André with the details, somehow making it sound a lot more terrifying and dramatic than it really was, I went to stand by the window, not able to process anything at the moment.

My heart longed to see Jade, but I had a feeling that I wasn't going to be prepared for what I would see. I wiped my nose again, wishing that we had never decided to get involved and try and solve this mystery in the first place.

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"You boys can go up and see Miss Tori Vega, if you'd like," the nurse at the front desk said as we were walking towards the entrance. We had hung with André for a lot longer than planned, but then a doctor had come in and given him some of those painkillers that made you sleepy so we had decided to leave now.

"Oh really?" _Geez, Robbie was so eager to see our maimed friends. What was wrong with him_?

"Yes. Her parents and sister arrived earlier, and they said you both were allowed to go and see her."

"Okay. Which room?"

"T-487, also the second floor."

"Do you think she's going to look as bad as André?" I asked Robbie hesitantly, wanting nothing more to get out of this place as we took the ride up in the elevator.

"I dunno. You don't have to go, man. I know it's probably really hard for you."

"I'll get over it. She did 'save' Jade after all," I replied as we went searching around the floor for room T-487. I found it first, and we hesitantly knocked on the door. Lo and behold, Mr. Vega himself answered.

"Oh! Hey guys, come on in."

The room was exactly like André's, with white walls covered in pictures of overly happy people and events. Mrs. Vega and Trina were also in there, crowded around the single small bed in the middle.

When I saw Tori for the first time in what seemed years, I was actually pretty excited. Her face was flushed and red, it looked like she'd been crying. Her hair was damp and the entire upper-half of her body was wrapped in white cloths.

"Beck? Robbie?"

"Hey, pretty girl," Robbie charmed, moving closer to her bed.

"What's going on?" I forced myself to say with a cheerful tone.

"Well, I just finished up my daily burn bath," she said, a frown turning her lips downward. "That has _got _to be the worst part so far. Sometimes I think it hurts more than getting burned in the first place."

"Well, you seem to be doing pretty good," Robbie commented.

"Yeah. The fire didn't burn me 'too' bad. Just some second degree ones up here. I guess I'm glad to be alive and look almost the same honestly." Tori's frown upped into a smile.

"Haha, yeah, you don't really look the same down there." Trina's eyes shifted towards her chest.

Tori shot her sister an awkward glance.

"Seriously."

I laughed, and Trina smiled a little too friendly at me. "Well, we just came by to see you, since we haven't in a while, it seems. And also, even though I haven't seen her yet, I just wanted to say thank you for saving my girlfriend."

"Yeah, no problem." Tori's eyes were twinkling. "It was, uh, I'm sure anyone else would do the same too."

"Mhmm." I reached over and gave her a gentle pat on the head, seeing as giving her a hug probably wasn't a very good idea at the moment. Robbie did the same.

We stayed for a little bit longer, especially after her family left the room to leave us alone, and we just chatted softly about how our lives had now been changed drastically. I tried to be 'in' on the conversation, but I couldn't stop thinking about Jade.

I had to see her soon, conscious or not.

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Every day for the next few weeks I drove all the way back up to the burn hospital, begging the staff to let me see Jade. It was a long drive too, and I started failing in school because I spent all of my time sitting in a car or moping around in the hospital lobby, annoying all the nurses I could find, but no one gave in.

It wasn't a matter of knowing what had happened to her, because it seemed like the whole city knew that she had been severely burned.

I just wanted to see her again.

My parents took away my truck keys, so I walked over to André's house (since Robbie didn't really own a 'car') and took his instead. But once they found that out I was banned from even leaving the house, so I waited until around midnight to sneak out.

The doctors finally told me that Jade's dad did not permit any visitors into her room. I threw a huge tantrum and they almost had to call the police to calm me down.

_No visitors_?

_No visitors_?

_Are you freaking KIDDING me_?

Jade had told me many times that after her mom died, her dad started ignoring her and acting as if she didn't exist. And now he was keeping the only people who truly loved her away.

What kind of man does?

What kind of _father _does that?

And then it made me remember that Cat had been _killed _by her own father, and now it didn't seem so bad. But I was going to die without getting to see Jade every day. I was considering just killing myself so I wouldn't have to live with the pain.

Until I got the call from Fireworks Burn Hospital.

And they gave me the green light to come and visit my girlfriend…for real this time.

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**'Fun' Fact: My original idea for this story was that Cat was going to get killed, and then Jade was to find and kill the killer herself. But then Jade realizes that the killer was Mr. Valentine, and she is horrified that she murdered her best friend's own dad, and in the end tries to commit suicide by setting herself on fire.**

**I thought that idea was stupid and had not enough facts to support why the characters did what they did so I changed it into this. :) Aren't you glad I did?**

**Oh and one more thing. Next chapter is one of my favorites. And you'll see why tomorrow! :D**


	30. Lasting Love

**This chapter, like the title implies, is pretty emotional, and that's why it's one of my favorites in this entire story. It's just so...I don't know how to describe it...just read it and you'll learn. ;)**

**So we are going back in time a little bit. Part of what happens in here is what was going on in the last chapter. And I've heard that people in comas can actually be aware of their surroundings, as hearing is the last thing to go. :)**

**To NeonLovesYou-okay, so I took your suggestion and put some of Cat's POV in this chapter, so hopefully it fits appropriately because I originally never planned for her to 'come back.'**

**To Kittkatt11-a sequel is a good idea but unfortunately I don't think it's going to be possible with this story. I'll explain it more why in the last chapter, because you need to finish reading everything else first, but thanks for your suggestion anyway!**

**Huge thank you hugs to: Kittkatt11, Ameha Kay, Jadiee, NeonLovesYou, rachelkay30, teezee, and sloth13.**

**Oh! Oh! And one more trivia fact before you start reading: I actually mentioned twice somewhere in the first seven chapters that Mr. Valentine had DID, but I don't think anyone's caught it yet. }:)**

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CHAPTER 29  
Cat's POV

I sat down on the simple bench, folding my hands in my lap and looking around the pretty golden landscape. Heaven was just as amazing as everyone had talked about, if not more. I had been reunited once again with my dead goldfish and met some of my really old relatives.

The only part I missed about Earth was not being with my friends.

I was so proud of all of them, especially my Jadey.

They had figured out all the clues just in the ways I had set them, and they were all so brave, even in that final encounter with my father.

"Oh, Kitty Cat!"

I turned and saw a man bounding towards me, a goofy smile plastered across his face and he swooped in next to me, taking one of my hands.

"Hi!" I snuggled closer to him and put my head on the man's chest.

I remembered when he first arrived at the iron gates, a splattered mess of icky skin and guts from the fall. But he was a changed man, the trauma and terror of his past that turned him into a part-time monster cleansed from his soul and he was admitted in.

"What do you plan on doing today?" the man asked, kissing the top of my head.

"What I always do. Keep watch over my friends who loved me enough to sacrifice everything they had."

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Jade's POV

I had no idea what was going on. I didn't even know where the heck I was. Sounds roared in my ears, hands were touching my body all over, and I could barely distinguish any of them, besides the fact that the people behind them were extremely panicked and worried.

Over a course of who knows how long, I was slowly able to control my senses a little better. I could make out what people were saying on occasion if I listened really closely, and could tell the difference of when I was lying in a bed or in a bathtub. Or when I was completely naked, which seemed to be practically all the time but surprisingly didn't bother me a lot.

In the beginning, I almost couldn't even remember why I was here or what the heck had happened. But I recalled that I had been set on fire, and according to some snippets of conversation by the nurses and doctors, they had put me into a medically-induced coma to keep me away from the pain and shock my burns were causing while I healed some more.

I wondered what I looked like now. I couldn't open my eyes, so I obviously couldn't see off of any reflections. Luckily, my brain was too drugged to be able to feel pain, so every finger that touched my body was just something of pressure, not uncomfortable in the least, and I kind of liked it. It made me feel like I was still a normal human being, not outcast like some sort of shriveled-up alien (which is what I resembled now) that had been kicked out of their own planet.

But I wanted to hear the voices of my friends again. The ones who had rescued and love me. The only ones I was coming in touch with were the foreign voices and hands of the medics that had saved my life.

I was also aware of when I was in surgery, taking a 'burn' bath or when my dressings were being replaced. There was lot of it all, so I wondered how bad the damage truly was. It was the same process, over and over, every single day. At least I wasn't dead, but I was getting bored.

Until the day I was well enough to allow guests inside my room.

And you'll never who the first person to come and visit me was.

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"Over here, Mr. West." I heard the creaking of my door opening up, and the familiar heavy footsteps of my father. There was some muffled talk, and finally I felt like there was a shadow looming above me.

"Jade?" my father asked in a soft voice.

_Was that really the voice of my father? My very own dad was coming to visit me? I thought he didn't even remember me anymore! When his wife(my mom) had died, it seemed as if I had died with her_.

"Can you hear me, sweetie?"

_Sweetie. That's the first time I've heard him call me that in three years. Three whole years of neglect, never being properly addressed at all._

_ Yes, Dad, I can hear you_, I thought, since I couldn't say anything. I think my vocal cords might've been burned up when I accidently swallowed all of that fire in my attempt to scream for help, but regardless, I was in a freaking coma and couldn't respond to my environment anyhow.

"Can I touch her?" my dad sounded scared and afraid that he might hurt me.

"Yes." That was one of the nurse's kind voices.

I felt something brush my gauze-wrapped hand. Non-existent tears formed in my eyes. His fingers wrapped around mine, not crushing them, just holding them gently and making his presence known. I wanted to squeeze back, to let him know that I was okay and excited that he was showing love for me again, but I couldn't.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you Jade. And I'm even more sorry that it's taken me this long to realize that you're still here with me. When your mom died, it was like she had taken you away with her. I'm sorry," he apologized.

My heart scrunched up, and I wanted to release the emotions so badly. Something wet was dripping onto my gauze-covered arm and I realized that my dad was crying.

Crying.

Over me.

This was the first time in _my life _that I'd ever seen him openly weep. When Mom died, he just hid away, so I figured he was letting go during those private times. But now…this was almost awkward.

"I love you Jade. Even if I never show it. You don't know how hard it is to for a guy like me to tell his only daughter that he loves her."

The words hit me hard.

But not in a bad a way.

My dad hung around for a while, telling me that he loved me and was sorry he it took so long for him to come out with it. I relished every minute of it so much I didn't want him to leave, and was greatly saddened when I felt that there was no more pressure on my hand and the tears were drying on the gauze.

"You can let her friends see her too, if they'd like," my dad told the nurse as he was leaving. _Really? So that's probably why they couldn't come and see me for the past few days. Oh well, the terrible wait is over! I hope Beck comes first_.

"Bye, Jadey dear. I love you."

The door slammed shut, and I welcomed the silence once more.

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Beck's POV

"Okay, Mr. Oliver, I want to warn you that Miss West has suffered extensive burns to about ninety percent of her body, which was due to the fact that at the time of the fire, she was covered with a very flammable, poisonous liquid that seems to have been invented by Mr. Valentine himself."

_The same stuff that killed Cat_.

"If you're wondering, yes, it is no longer in her system, and that will _not_ be the cause of her death when she is to pass, whenever that could be. Please do not try and be upset about her physical being, because although she is in a coma, she is still very aware of her surroundings." The helpful female nurse led me to the door marked 'J-143.' _How appropriate. It's like it's saying, "Jade, I love you_._"_

"Yes, whatever. Just let me see my girlfriend please."

"As you wish."

The woman opened the door. This room was twice as big as Tori and André's, but maybe that was because of the dozens of machines surrounding a huge white bed.

The sounds of beeping as they monitored my girlfriend's pulse and heartbeat filled the quiet air. I still couldn't see her actual body, but I was starting to get a really bad feeling that I might not be able to handle looking at it.

The nurse put her hand on my shoulder when I stopped dead in the middle of the floor, my legs locking up and my eyes squeezing shut. She led me close to the foot of the bed. When my opened my eyes, I felt like someone had put a bullet in my chest.

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"What is that?" I asked as the nurse approached the bed, not moving from my own spot.

"This? It's a mask we use to protect people's heads especially when they've been burned this badly so that the sensitive tissue isn't exposed to infected air and can heal faster," the nurse replied, tapping the plastic bubble around the victim's cranium.

"No." I wasn't asking about _that_.

"Beck, I'm sorry." The nurse back towards me, putting a hand on my arm. "_That _is your girlfriend."

I sank to my knees, gripping the metal part of the bed so hard with my fists that my knuckles were practically cracking.

"No…oh god no…" The tears had started, and I couldn't breathe.

Jade…that was not Jade…that thing was a monster.

Half of _its _body was just barely covered with square sheets of white material, revealing the horribly burned skin underneath, blood-red on in the middle and burnt black on the edges. There were long scars running up and down its arms, traveling up its collarbone and neck, and I stopped after seeing its face.

The eyes of the _thing _were closed, but it was the shape and condition of its skull that bothered me the most. Since there was no trace of hair, the head seemed to be larger than normal, but was distorted and warped into a shape that was indescribable, lopsided at one end and dented.

It kind of reminded me of Anakin Skywalker, after he had fallen into the lava at Mustafar, and when Emperor Palpatine was putting the famous Darth Vader mask on his face, it was of similar form to that, except more deep burns covered the surface.

"If it's too much for you, you don't need to stay, Mr. Oliver," the nurse comforted.

I got up, inching closer and closer to the mutilated face that was once my girlfriend's. I could not recognize a single feature of it. There was a noticeable hole near where the left eyebrow would be; I'm going to guess where the jewelry piercing was once. The lips, normally held in an adorable pouty look, were swollen and looked like they had been stitched or something.

"Jade?" I whispered, saying her name sending a throb in my heart.

The eyelids flickered. I noticed that the left side of her face was significantly worse than her right.

"You can hold her hand if you want."

Shaking violently, I reached out and gently touched the tip of her white-wrapped finger. The rest of my hand followed suit, relaxing on top of it. More tears fell down when I knew she couldn't squeeze back.

"Oh god Jade…I'm so sorry."

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Jade's POV

I heard the door open again and a felt a slight breeze pass over my body. _Oh dang. I don't think I'm wearing any clothes. Greeaatt_.

Footsteps rumbled through the floor, and I could tell that the person was getting more and more hesitant the closer they got. _Good grief. What do I look like that's making people walk towards me like I'm an electric chair_?

"What is that?" the voice rang out sharp and clear.

_Beck_?

_Was my boyfriend really hear to come and visit me_?

If I hadn't been in a coma my heart would've started racing so fast the monitors might've blown up. I wanted to rip my eyelids off and stare at his face again, move my mouth and tell him that I loved and missed him.

But there was one thing that kept me from doing so.

His words were harsh and upset, but his tone was scared and terrified. Like he didn't want to believe what he was seeing.

_Why me_?

_Why did this have to happen to _me _of all people? I tried to do what was right, to avenge my best friend who should've never been killed in the first place and I ended up getting burned alive and being covered in scars that seem to freak out almost everyone that comes near me_.

Beck was crying. He was holding the edge of my bed, shaking the frame with his clench fists.

_Stop, Beck_! I wanted to say. _I don't want you to be upset. _

The doctor started to tell him something, but I tuned her out, wishing that I could die. But no, I was stuck in something that was worse than being alive or dead. I had no control of anything, forced to lie here day after day and wonder if I'd ever get out of it.

"Jade?"

_Yes, dumbo. My name hasn't changed_, I thought ruefully in the heat of the moment.

He was getting closer to my head, and I heard him gasp.

His fingers tapped my hand, and I wanted to respond so badly. His touch was driving me insane, especially since I couldn't react or anything to it. Cold, salty liquid dripped down onto my arm, but I didn't feel the sting as it touched my burns.

"Oh god Jade…I'm so sorry."

_Me too. I should've never put any of you through this. I just made the situation worse for everyone_.

Beck was sobbing silently, his other hand moving up my arm and touching my burnt shoulder and collarbone. I could feel his disgust for the wounds and I wanted him to stop.

_No one should see me like this. He probably doesn't even love me anymore_.

That thought made me want to cry.

_No one could ever love me._

_ Not looking like this._

_ And there's no way in the world that anyone can change that_.

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Beck's POV

My fingers trailed up the burns to Jade's neck, where the helmet-mask thing around her head prevented me from touching anything further.

The nurse had left the room, leaving me alone with my girlfriend for the first time.

After a while, a new feeling start bubbling in my throat.

Jade had risked her life to get even for her best friend and was horribly maimed in the process. I knew that there was only so much the doctors would be able to do to cover up the scars, which were _everywhere_.

When I first saw her, I thought she was the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

But it wasn't the physical entity that mattered.

It never did to me.

Looks were just a bonus.

It was the inside that mattered.

Being so willing to do what she did, it would win the hearts over so many men, if they could only ignore the outside, which in the twenty-first century was something that seemed impossible to overcome.

I never paid much attention to how she looked anyway, when she was scar-less and carefree, not trapped in a hospital room, a set of machines determining her fate.

"I love you Jade," I said, the words melting off of my lips and filling the room with a sense of true belonging. "I always did. And I always will."

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**D'AWWWW...this chapter is so adorable is so many different ways...geez...I'm tearing up...WHO PUT THE ONIONS NEXT TO ME?**

**So yeah. We're just about done here. I'll do a quick rant here because I don't want to end up with like twenty paragraphs at the end of the last chapter. :)**

**I noticed that a lot of people seemed to really enjoy the mystery in this (which I appreciate a lot by the way :) even though it was my first time writing a story like this and I was worried there was going to be a bunch of plotholes and stuff. But I think it pulled through in the end. :D**

**As I said earlier there will be no sequel...for reasons that maybe you understand or don't, but it will be fully explained in the last chapter. However, because this story did much better than I expected I will definitely be writing a lot more 'mysteries' in the future, and that might even become my specialty hahaha.**

**But if you guys are really psyched for another mystery, two stories from now I have one planned in mind. So the next story I write will not be a big mystery but the next one will. I am still vaguely planning in, but I know for a few facts that it will definitely be a Rade story (because I have to include Jade right?) and it's going to be very, very dark, so I hope it will be allowed on this site with the new changes. **

**Thanks so much for everyone who read, alerted, and reviewed this story. One more chapter left! :)**


	31. Look at What You've Done

**Ahhh! The last chapter! I cannot tell you guys how happy I am to have completed another story, especially one like this! Thank you so much for everyone's support and encouragement the entire way through. I hope you enjoyed every part of it, and in the future I will be writing more stories like this!**

**I love you all. From the bottom of my heart. :)**

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CHAPTER 30

The next few months for the gang were interesting ones. Tori and André managed to return to school in time to complete their senior year at Hollywood Arts, while Jade was still not so lucky, not that it really bothered her.

News of the teens' story and their amazing skills to uncover the mystery of the murder of Cat Valentine circulated around the state, and even some other parts of the country. They were honored by thousands for their brave sacrifices and given lots of praise and reward.

Jade was doing much better with every week that passed, surviving skin grafts from her own body and synthetic materials. Her friends came by as often as possible (which was pretty much every single day) to bring her encouragement and just to talk her while she was recovering and finally she was well enough to be taken off of the drugs that kept her in a coma.

Just in time to witness her friends graduate as seniors.

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Jade's POV

I could feel pain again. And it wasn't a good thing. Every part of my body was held in sort of a slight half-stinging, half-numbing state, but at least I was now fully aware of my surroundings and could respond to them, which was something I missed dearly.

I had lost the vision in my left eye, and it just rolled around aimlessly in its socket, something that I think scared other people. All of my facial piercings had to be cut off because the fire had melted them into my skin and it would've been unsafe to leave them there. I don't think I was going to go and get them re-pierced.

My fingers were burnt beyond use, but my dad didn't want them amputated, so now they kind of just hung there for decoration purposes, in a way that helped me look 'more normal.' I still had no idea what I _really _looked like, since the doctors had banned mirrors or anything that could show a reflection from my room, in fear that if I saw my state I would give up on the fight for life.

However, I knew for a fact that I didn't have any hair anymore…anywhere. I had been burnt past the follicles and wouldn't be able to grow any back naturally. I didn't mind on the _lower _areas (if you know what I mean) but I certainly didn't like having air blow past my bare scalp and the sense of being exposed, so I got some hats and wigs that were almost exact replicas, and I felt better about it.

Even then, not _all _hope had been lost. I had the best friends anyone could ask for, an amazing boyfriend and a pretty awesome dad. I never said anything about the times I was in the coma and were visited by them, to save the embarrassment.

Everyday I went through the same boring and excruciating process of going into the burn bath to get the dead skin scraped off my body and then have all the bandages replaced to prevent infection. I hated it so much and often cussed out every single nurse and doctor that helped, but I knew it was for the better and without it I wouldn't even be alive.

Tori, André, Beck and Robbie came by _all the time_ to see how I was doing and update me on what was going on back at Hollywood Arts. Apparently, Sikowitz was going to get engaged soon, and the staff had created a plaque in the black box dedicated to me for my actions of trying to go and stop Mr. Valentine.

Speaking of which, I would never be able to sing and dance on a stage again. Not just because of my scars that would no doubt terrify the audience, but because I had ruined my throat and vocal cords on that night when I started screaming, 'swallowing' some of the flames. The doctors pieced and replaced together the tissues in time, but it wouldn't be the same, obviously. With lots of therapy, I would be able to talk at least.

Luckily, even with all the bad, the one thing I was looking forward to was being able to walk again. My legs had been the least injured in the fire (only sustaining a few minor second degree burns all above the knees) so they were still functional as long as I was patiently and properly taught.

Sometimes my dad would come by to visit, bringing me my favorite horror movies and candy. If you're wondering, yes, I can still hear, but with a hearing aid in my left ear. Dad was nice enough leave the new lady he was dating in the lobby in order to save her the grief of having to see me horribly scarred.

At first I thought that me being locked up here all the time would put a definite strain on my relationship with Beck, but I think he seemed to be enjoying it more. I knew he was so proud of me whenever journalists would come in to get my side of the story from so long ago, and I could tell just by the way he looked at me that his love had never left. So it wasn't _just _my formerly beautiful body that kept him coming back.

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"Hello, Jade!" Tori yelled excitedly as she and my friends entered the room. I turned my head as much as I could in my neck brace so my only working eye could see them properly.

They were all wearing their blue graduation gowns, complete with the hats and tassels swinging around, fancy dress shoes clicking on the tiled floor.

"'Erro, 'oo 'uys," I mumbled around the tube in my throat. Like I mentioned earlier, because of the few burns down there, it was sometimes really painful to breathe, so they inserted the pipe-thing directly into my lungs to help me. It was very uncomfortable in the beginning, but I was adjusting.

"Aw, you're so adorable." Tori went over and patted my hand.

"Dob id," I responded, smiling with whatever facial expressions I still had left.

"Look what we brought you." André pulled out from behind his back another blue Hollywood Arts graduation cap, and placed it on top of my black wig. "Sorry we don't have a _real _diploma, but they wouldn't give us one because technically you didn't to school and work like the rest of us did."

I glared at him as best as I could.

"So we have this for you instead!" Robbie held a rolled up script in front of me, unraveling it because I couldn't and letting me read it.

_Congratulations to Jadelyn August West, for doing the impossible and being an inspiring leader to a group of four 'blabbing idiots.' We love you!_

I looked up at all of them, my heart warming.

"Tans, 'uys," I said truthfully, wanting to give them each a hug. Beck leaned over and very gently kissed my healing lips. "An' con'gats 'or gaduating," I added.

"We wish you could be there with us," Tori replied.

"Oh, uh, Sinjin sends you his best." Robbie showed me a clear vase full of green flowers I didn't recognize. _Where the heck are they getting all these presents from_?

"As does the rest of Hollywood Arts, class of 2015," Beck said, taking my hand and pointing towards the TV monitor hanging in the corner. André had put in a tape and pressed play, showing a slideshow of my former classmates wishing me the best in life and hoping that I get well soon.

I almost started crying.

"'oo 'uys ah de bes'," I tried to say.

"We know."

Beck's fingers were smoothing over my ruined knuckles and he made a small huffing noise from the back of his throat.

All three of their head snapped up and they saw what he was trying to do.

"Oh. I get it," André said, putting his hands up in mock surrender and grinning suspiciously. "We'll wait down in the lobby or outside, because I know you guys want your privacy." He started ushering everyone towards the door.

"See you later then, Jade," Robbie called.

"Bye!" Tori managed.

The door slammed shut. And I felt Beck bend over and press his lips to the side of my head. It stung but I didn't react to it. Pain was something you had to get used to when ninety percent of your body was covered in second and third degree burns.

"I brought you something, babe." He took out a photo from underneath his gown, which was surprisingly not crinkled and perfectly straight-edged.

"Whud id it?"

He flipped the photo over and put it in my lap, since my fingers wouldn't be able to do it. I felt so helpless when people had to do those kinds of things for me. I was still a human, technically with all of her correct appendages (although most of them were no long controllable) and I'm sure if someone gave me a chance I could figure out how to be able and live as normally as possible.

I blinked and looked closely. It was a picture of Cat. She was smiling brightly, and even I had to grin, or at least attempt to.

"Where'd 'oo ge' id?" I asked, my throat starting to burn painfully.

"From a friend. And also this." He reached once again into his robe and pulled out a newspaper, opening and folding it back for me. The top article showed an image of the Valentine family, and it talked entirely about how their lives are now, with two family members dead and one in custody.

Amazing how little time it takes for your whole world to fall apart.

"Whud id dis 'or?" I should probably stop talking. It's really starting to hurt now.

"Just wanted to show you how fast time flies," Beck chuckled, still bent over the railings of the bed, and I knew that he wanted to cuddle up with me, but that was certainly not an option.

"Bed? Can 'oo ge' meh a miwwor? I wan' tah see whud I willy look like." I knew it was against the rules, but hey, my friends just graduated high school for God's sake while I was stuck in this place.

"A mirror?"

I nodded slightly, wincing as the movement caused more spasms of pain.

"You know that I'm not allowed to do that, right?" Beck was extremely hesitant.

I wanted to say _So_? but my throat had tightened up painfully around the tube.

"And you know, that no matter what you look like, I still love you and always will?" Beck was actually taking out his PearPhone, turning it off so I could see myself in the reflection of the screen.

_Yes, I know_.

"Here." He held out the tool in front of me, adjusting it because I couldn't and I finally got a glimpse of myself.

The piercing blue eye, the only part of me that I recognized around the scuffle of dark, peeling burns, gone eyebrows and hairless scalp. The left side of my face was definitely more disfigured; the side of my mouth was scarred and turned down into a permanent scowl.

_Oh my god. That's really what I look like_?

I really had to hand it to my friends and family at that point. How could they act so normally and causal when there was a person who looked more like an alien thing than a human being?

"Don't be upset," Beck comforted. "I don't care what you look like on the outside. It's the inside that matters to me."

_Sure it doesn't matter to you, but it matters to me_.

I raised my free hand up to my face, touching the scars that sealed up the burns on my chin and cheek. Beck put his arm on my thigh, looking right into my blue eye with brown ones full of nothing but concern and love.

I glanced back down at the newspaper, locking onto Mr. Valentine and Cat.

_Look at what you've done to us_. _Just look at what you've done_.

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THE END.

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**:')**

***Sniff* I'm so happy right now. So what did you think of the ending? Too much or too little?**

**Some of you might want me to write another chapter, something like an epilogue. I totally would, but as many of you guessed, I've already written it and you've already read it! That's right, go back to the prologue and tell me how much more sense it makes! :)**

**And because this story had such a complicated mystery in its heart, there's actually quite a lot of hints I left around that I don't think anyone's found yet. I posted the major ones on my profile (so go there :D) but there are so many little ones you'd have to re-read the story to notice them. **

**Unfortunately, there will not be a sequel, because usually sequels take place a few years after the original or start off with new characters. When you read the prologue/epilogue, you'll notice that it takes place about twenty-five years after this chapter, and that's not really the kind of setting I want if I were to write another story. So hopefully you all understand. ;)**

**THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this story a success. Especially every single one of my reviewers. :) **

**If anyone has any questions, comments, etc. about anything, please feel free to leave a review or P.M. me about it!**


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